Socialist International: Freedom for Belarusian prisoners of conscience

One of the world's largest organisations supports Belarusian freedom fighters.

A meeting of the Socialist International Committee for the CIS, Caucasus and Black Sea, Tbilisi, Georgia was held in Tbilisi on June 3—4. Maryna Adamovich, the wife of jailed presidential candidate Mikalai Statkevich, and Ihar Barysau, a deputy head of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada), took part in the event. The declaration adopted at the meeting demands to release jailed Belarusian opposition activists and human rights defenders. The international organisation, which unites 156 social and social democratic parties from more than 100 countries, expressed its solidarity with Belarusians struggling against the dictatorship, the website of the Socialist International informs.

“The Committee reiterated its full solidarity with the people of Belarus in their struggle for freedom, democracy, independence, and the preservation of their national identity. The continuing serious violations of human rights by the ruling regime is deplorable and this Committee calls for an end to the persecution of opposition leaders and for the liberation and rehabilitation of political prisoners, among them Mikalai Statkevich, leader of the BSDP (NH), a member party of the Socialist International,” the declaration says.

More then ten political prisoners remain in Belarusian jails today. Among them are former presidential candidate Mikalai Statkevich, Young Front leader Zmitser Dashkevich, businessmen Mikalai Autukhovich, human rights activist Ales Bialiatski as well as 9 other opposition activists.

The international community and human rights groups demand to free Belarusian prisoners of conscience. Seeking the release of remaining 14 political prisoners, the European Union and the US imposed visa restrictions and economic sanctions against officials and businessmen involved in repressions or helping the regime financially.