Relatives of political prisoners met with OSCE head

On May 15, relatives of political prisoners Uladzimir Asipenka and Yury Lyavonau and Mikalai Autukhovich’s representative Aleh Vouchak met with Hans-Johan Schmidt, the Director of OSCE Office in Minsk.

Radio Svaboda learnt this from Uladzimir Asipenka’s daughter Lyudmila.

“It is very important that Hans-Johan Schmidt has accepted us and we’ve had a dialogue. It turns out that the diplomat knows the situation around our fathers. He is unable to influence the settling of the issue, but it is important that he promised to monitor the situation and inform certain agencies.

We told that the case hasn’t been investigated for three months, and the investigation has recently been extended till June 3. We informed about hunger strike of Mikalai Autukhovich and that he is supported by many people in Belarus and abroad,” Lyudmila Asipenka tells.

It should be reminded that entrepreneurs Mikalai Autukhovich, Yury Lyavonau, and Uladzimir Asipenka were arrested in Vaukavysk in February on suspicion of arson of a local militiaman’s house. However, another person was punished for this crime.

Mikalai Autukhovich went on hunger strike on April 16 demanding to send his case to court. He says he is being persecuted on political motives. Relatives of the arrested think the investigative agencies have no proofs and so they are buying time to fabricate the case. Mikalai Autukhovich and Yury Lyavonau were sentenced to prison terms before, and were recognized prisoners of conscience.

On May 4, Belarusian political and public activists went on indefinite hunger strike in solidarity with Mikalai Autukhovich. Among them are former political prisoners Alyaksandr Kazulin, Andrei Kim, Enira Braniskaya, Alyaksandr Barazenka, Alyaksandr Barazenka, Artsyom Dubski, “Young Front” activists Nasta Palazhanka, Mikalai Dzyamidzenka, Kasya Salauyova, activist of the civil initiative “European Belarus” Aleh Myatselitsa and Uladzislau Barodka, activists of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Leanid Skarabahaty and Iryna Hubskaya, Belarusian students in Poland, participants of Kalinouski education program, and others. More than 30 people are taking part in the hunger strike now.