Belarusian oppositionists announce mass hunger strike

By the hunger strike victims of Lukashenka’s regime are trying to attract attention of the world to the situation in Belarus.

7 oppositionists from Homel announced the protest hunger strike on June 26. They protest against illegal persecution of participants of the rally “Chain of those who care”.

The rally was held on May 7, on the 10th anniversary of disappearance of the former Interior Minister Yury Zakharanka.

As we have informed, on June 25 the organizer of the rally Uladzimir Katsora sentenced to 3 days of administrative arrest, went on dry hunger strike. On June 26 participants of the rally “Chain of those who care” Vasil Palyakou, Anatol Paplauny, Yury Zakharanka and Pyotr Kuznyatsou joined the hunger strike, as well as Uladzimir Syakerka, Valery Rybchanka and Svyatlana Mikhalchanka who joined the hunger strike to show their solidarity.

The hunger strike is to last until Katsora released from the isolation ward. Politicians are getting ready to place a streamer “Protest hunger strike” on the building of their office.

It should be noted that on June 25 they placed the same streamer and two flags, a flag of the European Union and a white-red-white flag. However, policemen drew a report for “violation of the order of buildings’ maintenance” against the owner of the house where the office is situated, and seized flags and the streamer.

In the second part of the day lawyer Pyotr Barysau is to visit Katsora in the isolation ward, for the politician to sign a writ of appeal to the regional court. The organizer of the protest is also to send a statement to the Supreme Court, the Prosecutor General’s Office, independent media and foreign embassies accredited in Belarus. The statement reads that the court of Tsentralny district of Homel has issued a knowingly illegal ruling, as the Supreme Court tried analogous case in March 2003 and decided that action of a group of people who stand with portraits is not a picket, and such citizens cannot be prosecute d.

Oppositionists are to hold hunger strike in the office in turn. Printed materials are distributed among dwellers of the town in support of this protest.

“It is not only a protest hunger strike against an illegal decision of the court, but against all the unlawfulness which is taking place in Belarus over the last 15 years,” Palyakou comments the situation.

Since 2006 Katsora has been punished for violation of the order of holding mass events by 47 days of arrest in total.

As we have informed, the hunger strike of political prisoner Mikalai Autukhovich lasts for more than 70 days. It started on April 16. The oppositionist, arrested with Yury Lyavonau and Uladzimir Asipenka, was illegally charged with “arsons” and “illegal actions with weapons”. By the hunger strike Autukhovich wants to achieve immediate trial or release.

Emanuel Zeltser, a US citizen, was on hunger strike since May 8. Yesterday he suspended the hunger strike till June 30. The US citizen is charged by the Belarusian authorities with commercial espionage, protests against denial of the authorities to issue documents which are needed for considering the question of his amnesty. The arrest of Zeltser in Minsk is believed to be connected to the fact that he defended interests of Joseph Kay, who lays claims to the estate of the late Georgian oligarch Badri Patarkatsishvili. The disgraced Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky, who has long-standing ties with Alyaksandr Lukashenka, also lays claims for the estate.