Indefinite hunger strike in solidarity with political prisoners started in Minsk

Famous people of Belarus went on hunger strike to support political prisoners Mikalai Autukhovich, Yury Lyavonau, and Uladzimir Asipenka.

As it was informed at a press conference in the Belarusian Popular Front party headquarters, activists of the “Young Front” organization Nasta Palazhanka, Mikola Dzyamidzenka, and Andrei Tzyanyuta, for presidential candidate and political prisoner Alyaksandr Kazulin, the BPF leader Lyavon Barshcheuski, former political prisoners Andrei Kim, Artsyom Dubski, Syarhei Parsyukevich, Mikhail Marynich, Syarhei Skrabbets, head of the organizing committee on creation of the social democratic party “Narodnaya Hramada” Mikalai Statkevich, leader of the coordinative council of entrepreneurs Ales Makaeu and others have joined the hunger strike.

“Young Front” activists will have hunger strike in the BPF headquarters, the others – at home, BelaPAN reports.

Participants of the hunger strike demand to withdraw accusations from the businessmen from Vaukavysk, release them immediately, and rehabilitate all political prisoners in the country and stop political persecution.

As Alyaksandr Kazulin told at the press conference, the strikers demand only one thing – obeying the law.

“We have seen that killers are release on their own recognizance only by Lukashenka’s order. But Vaukavysk businessmen, who are not criminals in fact, are not released. We do to demand anything extraordinary. We, as well as Mikalai Autukhovich, demand to send the case to the court in the nearest time. We know that investigation isn’t being carried out in their cases, and we don’t know why they are kept in custody,” the politician said.

Kazulin noted that the participants of the solidarity action will have hunger strike “according to their possibilities – a day, two or three days, two or three weeks, according to the state of health”. The participants of the action called on people to join the solidarity hunger strike.

Youth leader Andrei Kim noted life of Autukhovich is in danger. He may not survive till the next solidarity action on May 16. The oppositionist called on people to come to October square every day at 6.00 p.m. to express their solidarity with the people arrested.

Activists of the movement of entrepreneurs from Vaukavysk Mikalai Autukhovich, Yury Lyavonau, and Uladzimir Asipenka were detained on February 8, 2009. Human rights activists regard the detainees as political prisoners drawing attention to the fact Autukhovich and Lyavonau have been imprisoned earlier and recognized prisoners of conscience by Amnesty International.

Autukhovich went on hunger strike on April 16. He demands to send his case to court as soon as possible or change the measure of restraint for the detainees from custody to release on their own recognizance.