Maksim Viniarski portraits in streets of Minsk

YChD activists demand the release of the European Belarus civic campaign coordinator, who has gone on hunger strike.

Young Christian Democrats held an event in Minsk in support of Maksim Viniarski, who had been detained on 22 April and, despite serious health problems, sentenced to a 12-day administrative arrest, the organization’s press-service reports.

“We demand the immediate release of Maksim Viniarski! We are indignant that medical assistance has not yet been provided to him! In the situation over Maksim the authorities have shown their whole monstrous essence, they are ready to openly kill the most dangerous democratic activists, WE demand that medical assistance be promptly provided to Maksim Viniarski and he be transferred to a hospital, - the event’s participants say. – What is being done to Maksim is an actual torture, a critical situation, this is a torture of a human and an inadmissible violation of his rights. He is sacrificing his health for the sake of us all”.

We would remind that the coordinator of the European Belarus civic campaign was detained by police on 22 April in Minsk at the exit of the Korona trading center. The policemen claimed that the activist “looked similar to a wanted person”, however already at the police station he was accused of insubordination to policemen, and a protocol was composed on an administrative violation. On the same day the judge of Minsk Frunze district Liudmila Lapo found Maksim Viniarski guilty and sentenced him to a 12-day arrest.

On trial Viniarski, who suffering from a sore throat, felt bad. The ambulance doctors, who arrived, stated that he needed to be taken to a hospital, but the policemen claimed they would take him to an isolation center. In response Viniarski went on dry hunger strike.

The activist links his detention to the authorities’ desire not to let him take part in the Chernobyl Shlakh manifestation, that took place on 26 April. There is a real threat that the authorities will not stay in the limits of this punishment, and like it already used to be the case in the past, will find a way to prolong his time in prison, in order to prevent him from being in Minsk during the Ice Hockey World Championship. This is why he has gone on hunger strike.

Recently Maksim Viniarski spent over 300 days in prison, which has seriously affected his health condition. At the time of the latest detention policemen demanded that he leave Minsk for the time of the Ice Hockey World Championship.

In Minsk metro, on advertising pillars in Minsk public places YChD activists spread leaflets with the portrait of the political prisoner and the demand to release Maksim Viniarski.