19 March 2024, Tuesday, 13:05
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Yauhen Afnahel: Trying To Find Logic In Authorities’ Actions Seems Complicated

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Yauhen Afnahel: Trying To Find Logic In Authorities’ Actions Seems Complicated
Yauhen Afnahel

The more you compress the spring of the people’s anger, the stronger it will hit when released.

Coordinator of the “European Belarus” civil campaign Yauhen Afnahen has said this commenting upon the so-called “White Legion” case.

- Why did the authorities once again dare for the repressive actions, the political subtext of which is very easy to prove?

- Trying to find logic in the actions of the authorities has always been difficult. This applies to the mass arrests in March, and the dispersal of the rally on the Freedom Day, and the "patriots’ case". Apparently, the initiators of the repressions believe that they can save the regime this way. However, the capture of new hostages will not solve the problems with falling wages and pensions, will not help to stop the growth of prices and utility costs, and certainly will not reduce the level of hatred of the Belarusians to the authorities. On the contrary, as the experience of other countries shows, the more you compress the spring of the people’s anger, the stronger it will hit when released.

- What should be done to really help the defendants in the “patriots’ case”?

- The Belarusian opposition repeatedly successfully achieved the release of the regime’s prisoners. For this, three components remain necessary.

Human rights defenders have to admit the obvious fact that there are about 20 new political prisoners in the country. Perhaps even this step will be sufficient for the release of the defendants of the "patriots’ case." If, however, some human rights defenders wait for the trial, the number of prisoners of the regime could grow, as the regime knows no other way of talking to the opponents but repressions.

The Western countries and the international organizations need to take a tough stance against Lukashenka and those secret services officers, law enforcement officials, and judges, who violate the laws. Naturally, it is necessary to impose sanctions on them. Any further conversations between the European officials and the Belarusian authorities should start with the demands to stop repressions.

Also, we need solidarity with the arrested within the country. By now, hundreds of Belarusians responded to a call on fundraising for the families of the arrested, spreading information about the prisoners in the social networks. The demand to release the defendants in the “patriots’ case” and the call for solidarity with them should sound in the opposition street campaigns, the statements of well-known politicians and public figures, in the independent media.

I am confident that together we can achieve an early release of the prisoners of the regime, and put an end to repressions.

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