December 16, 6 p.m., October square: “Kidnappers must go to The Hague!”

If not to react to kidnapping of oppositionists now, criminals will believe they can’t be punished.

Youth leaders, who were kidnapped in 2009, namely one of the leaders of the civil campaign “European Belarus” Yauhen Afnahel, leaders of “Young Front” Zmitser Dashkevich and Anastasia Palazhanka, “European Belarus” activist Uladzimir Lemesh, called upon Belarusians to gather on October square at 6 p.m. on December 16. The oppositionists call on the people of Belarus to show their solidarity and not to allow further repressions by the Belarusian authorities. A statement published on the website jeans-by.com says this:

“Friends,

Every 16th day of a month, on the Day of Solidarity, we held street actions to support Belarusian political prisoners, recollected disappeared politicians and the people who suffered from political repressions in our country. This problem is acute even now. Mikalai Autukhovich, Uladzimir Asipenka, and Artsyom Dubski are in prisons on far-fetched grounds. Disappearances of Yury Zakharanka, Viktar Hanchar, Anatol Krasouski and Zmitser Zavadski have not been investigated independently so far. Repressions against opposition activists go on.

Unfortunately, we see that instead of the so called liberalization the regime has chosen impudent pressure on society. The recent gangster-style kidnappings demonstrate that the Belarusian secret services are improving and tightening repressions. It is obvious that the Belarusian regime is ready to take any measures to defend itself.

If there is no reaction of the law enforcement agencies, human rights activists and international society, first of all Belarusian society, those who are guilty of kidnapping will believe they can’t be punished.

Today, as never before, we need to demonstrate our strength and solidarity in protecting out principles! The unity in protecting people, who are being persecuting for struggling for freedom and justice. We need solidarity, the only force able to stop lawlessness and criminality in our country!

We call on all uniddiferent people to gather on October square at 6 p.m. on December 16 for a traditional solidarity actions under slogans “No to Political Kidnapping” and “Kidnappers Must Go to The Hague!”