Young Front: “They want to destroy us”

Activists of Young Front, an organization registered in the Czech Republic, were sentenced to 350 days in custody for the last year.

This is an absolute record set by the Belarusian authorities, Viasna human rights centre writes.

Young Front activist Kasya Halitskaya is confident the Belarusian authorities use these brutal methods to destroy one of the most active youth organization. Preventive arrests and detentions after successful actions are revenge by the law enforcement agencies on Young Front members for their “guerrilla”.

At a press conference on May 21 Young Front activists announced the start of a two-week campaign of solidarity with the arrested organization members  - Mikalai Dzemidzenka, Raman Vasilyeu, Pavel Syarhei, Uladzimir Yaromenak and Dzmitry Kramyanetski. Young Front plans to appeal to different international institutions and European youth organizations urging them to inform their governments about a problem of Young Front persecution.

“All of us got used to short terms in custody. This is a routine. Earlier, scores of people met activists after release, but now only their relatives and friends wait for them. By this casual attitude towards arrests we allow this outrage to go on,” Kasya halitskaya said.

Organizers of the press conference called to support Young Front activists who will be released:

Pavel Syarhei – at 9 pm, May 21;

Uladzimir Yaromenak – 3:30 pm, May 23;

Mikalai Dzemidzenka and Dzmitry Kramyanetski – at 3:30 pm, May 24;

Raman Vasilyeu – 3:30 pm, May 26.