19 March 2024, Tuesday, 8:45
Support
the website
Sim Sim,
Charter 97!
Categories

Only 16 Political Prisoners In Belarus?

3
Only 16 Political Prisoners In Belarus?
PHOTO: SVABODA.ORG

Forum “Freedom to political prisoners” was held in the Minsk office of the Belarusian Popular Front Party.

The event was attended by representatives of political parties, civil society activists, human rights defenders: Mikalai Statkevich, Aliaksei Yanukevich, Aliaksandr Dabravolski, Velery Shchukin, Aleh Volchek, Mikhail Autukhovich, Mikhail Pastukhou. The co-chairman of the BCD Paval Sevyarynets was the moderator of the forum, Radio Svaboda reports.

“Every time, as soon as we find out that a new wave of repressions has begun in the country, we meet to handle the situation. There is a paradoxical situation in the country today, since there is an “election campaign” going on in the country, there is “liberalization”, but at the same time new people get behind the bars,” – Sevyarynets noted.

The former presidential candidate and former political prisoner Mikalai Statkevich spoke at the forum.

“It is necessary to clearly define the criteria by which we recognize a person a political prisoner. Also it is necessary to influence the human rights community, to carry out actions in support of those who went to prison for his views,” – Statkevich stressed.

During open voting the participants of the Forum approved the list of persons who, in the opinion of the part of the civil society, should be recognized as political prisoners. There are 16 persons on the list: Eduard Palchys, Dzmitry Paliyenka, Alyaksei Zhalnou, Alesya Sadouskaya, Andrei Bandarenka, Uladzimir Kondrus, Mikhail Zhamcuzhny, Iryna Motsnaya, Kiryl Silivonchyk, Aliaksandr Lapitsky , Aliaksandr Yurkouts, Taras Avatrau, Dzmitry Tsekhanovich, Illia Valovik, Vadzim Boika and Filip Ivanou.

The forum was also attended by OSCE observers, working in Minsk during the current elections to the “chamber of representatives”.

As stated by the long-term OSCE observer Hildegard Christine Rogler-Mochel, an internal OSCE report on the results of the election campaign in Belarus will be presented on August 23, and on September 12 the final press conference will be held, in which the parliamentarians from OSCE and the Council of Europe will participate.

Write your comment 3

Follow Charter97.org social media accounts