EU ambassadors urged to direct attention to situation with political prisoners

28 Belarusian oppositional politicians have voiced a demand to release a businessman from Vaukavysk Mikalai Autukhovich.

On February 8 entrepreneurs from Vaukavysk Mikalai Autukhovich, Yury Lyavonau and Uladzimir Asipenka were arrested on charges of intentional arson. Since April 16 Mikalai Autukhovich is on hunger strike. He demands to either take the case to the court or release him and the two other Vaukavysk businessmen with a written undertaking not to leave the place.

As informed by “Belarusian partisan”, on July 13 the letter with a demand to release Vaukavysk businessmen was handed in by the former political prisoner and presidential candidate Alyaksandr Kazulin to the Ambassador of Poland in Minsk Henryk Litwin.

“We, representatives of the Belarusian society, address You on the occasion which causes our extreme concern and distress,” the address reads. “A businessman and public leader Mikalai Autukhovich continues his hunger strike in Belarusian prison for 89 days. The official authorities keep him in prison as a dangerous criminal, though the court hadn’t taken place yet. Human rights organisations have already recognized Autukhovich a prisoner of conscience during his previous imprisonment, and President Lukashenka was forced to release him under pressure of the world community. The second imprisonment could be viewed as revenge to this courageous man. Officials that are in charge of the investigation of the case of Vaukavysk businessmen, offer more and more unbelievable and unconfirmed charges with the aim to mislead the public opinion worldwide”.

The authors of the address note that Mikalai Autukhovich’s life in endangered now.

“Today the life of Autukhovich is in immediate danger. In fact, the hunger strike has become ultima ratio in the country where mechanisms of legal defense of honour and dignity of a person are non-existent. He demands to grant him his legal right for fair and open trial and to change the measure of restraint before the trial. Dozens of prominent personalities of the Belarusian culture, well-known politicians and human rights activists are ready to stand bail for him, but the vertical of power ignores all the calls to adhere to the commitments on releasing political prisoners’. We ask You, Mister Ambassador, to inform about that your government and representatives of the diplomatic corps of the EU countries with the aim to influence the position of the Belarusian authorities and save the life of Mikalai Autukhovich,” the letter reads.

The address has been signed by 28 public and political leaders of Belarus: Alyaksandr Kazulin, co-chairmen of the organising committee for creation of the War veterans movement “Defenders of Fatherland” Alyaksandr Kamarouski and Aleh Vouchak, prisoners of conscience Syarhei Parsyukevich, Vyachaslau Siuchyk, Enira Branitskaya, Mikalai Astreika, Tsimafei Dranchuk, co-chairman of the United Democratic Forces Anatol Lyabedzka, the leader of the Belarusian Popular Front party Lyavon Barshcheuski, a filmmaker Uladzimir Kolas and others.