Yauhen Afnagel: “Very many people in Belarus are displeased by regime”
5- 27.07.2010, 13:41
The main demand of the rally on August 16 is to start international investigation of the cases of the disappeared.
In recent weeks, as a result of the TV programs of the Russian TV, some people hold the chief decision makers of Belarus responsible for disappearances of prominent people of the country, this topic has become urgent again. According to the organizers of the march, now it is high time to address the international structures again and demand to carry out international investigation of the circumstances of the abductions of Viktar Hanchar, Yury Zakharanka, Anatoly Krasouski and Zmitser Zavadski, “Nasha Niva” writes.
The organizers hope to get authorization for holding the rally, but are ready to change the course and format of the event, as it often happens in our country. As said by the organizers, the march in Minsk on August 16 could become the initiatory step to stir up civic engagement in the run-up to the presidential elections
“People for whom the issue of the disappeared remains important, will come to the protest, in order to sound this problem for these cases to be investigated,” believes the activist of European Belarus Yauhen Afnagel, a co-organizer of the rally.
As Yauhen believes, developments during the march depend more on the city authorities than organizers of the rally.
These months are life-changing for our country. “Now many people are displeased by the regime, but many people fear to take to the streets,” Yauhen Afnagel believes. “Changes which can take place in our country, depend on whether people would be able to get over their fear of dynamic actions”.
An application for holding a march under a slogan “We demand international investigation of the cases of the abducted” in Minsk on August 16 was submitted to Minsk city executive committee on July 16 by the leader of Minsk branch of the BPF Viktar Ivashkevich, activists of European Belarus civil campaign Yauhen Afnagel and Pavel Yukhnevich. The applicants plan to hold a march from the Academy of Sciences building to the Freedom Square.
