Authorities are urged to release political prisoners prior to Freedom Day

Today an application for holding a street rally on March 25 is to be filed at Minsk city executive committee.

The applicants are the chairman of the Council of Belarusian Intellectuals Uladzimir Kolas, an artist Alyaksei Marachkin and a politician Viktar Ivashkevich.

The applicants ask to authorize the demonstration on March 25 from 1.30 p.m. (from the Academy of Sciences) till 2.30 p.m. (Bangalore Square). The organizers do not reveal their alternative plan in case of denial, “Nasha Niva” informs.

It is planned to invite singers-songwriters, artists and poets to take part in the meeting. Ivashkevich recalled Moscow protests, which were held in a creative way, not only thanks to organizers, but also participants. “Let everyone make a celebration for oneself on March 25,” he noted. “The anniversary of the Belarusian People’s Republic is a very important event. Unfortunately, not all Belarusians realize the importance of this day,” said the chairman of the organizing committee Uladzimir Kolas. He noted: “We are happy that the oppositional forces have come to a single opinion on this matter.”

Uladzimir Kolas has offered to hold a round-table discussion on the issue of the anniversary of March 25. Representatives of the authorities could be invited for discussion as well. But a necessary condition for that is release of political prisoners.

“We are going to take into account mistakes of previous organizing committees,” Kolas noted, when he was asked about constant seizing of sound-amplifying equipment during street rallies.

Viktar Ivashkevich believes that not only historical events should be focused on on March 25, but on vital current issues like preservation of independence. Ivashkevich stressed some socio-political issues like decline in salaries in the country. Once again the politician repeated the idea of the parliamentary election boycott.

“So many people should take to the streets for the dictator, the Belarusians and the world community to see that Belarus is alive,” Ivashkevich said. “We have nothing to celebrate now, we can only pay homage to the courage of those people,”

Alyaksei Marachkin says that not only street rallies are to take place, but an exhibition dedicated to the BNR anniversary.

Ihar Lyalkou, a representative of the Belarusian Popular Front, has also expressed satisfaction over the fact that oppositional forces have united for celebration of the Freedom day. For the first time the Just World Party has joined the organizing committee of the celebration.

“We would not like to see provocators in uniform or in mufti at the rally,” Ivashkevich noted.