Ten Mothers From Movement 328 Declared Hunger Strike

The activists demand a meeting with Lukashenka.

On Friday, April 27, ten mothers of those convicted under Article 328 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus (illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, their precursors and analogues) went on a hunger strike. They have few demands: "to be heard" and a meeting with Lukashenka, tut.by writes.

The youngest participant in the hunger strike is 22 years old, this is the wife of a convict. The oldest is 72, her grandson is in prison. 10 people joined the hunger strike. Six of them are staying in an apartment in Kalinkavichy, other four – near Minsk. They are sure that more people will join them.

– Our relatives are hold on strict regimen, the meeting with them is allowed every four months, – convict’s mother Tatsiana Kaneuskaya, who came up with this campaign, explains. – For some of us, the day, when we start this campaign, is coincident with the day of the meeting. They want to visit their relatives and then join us.

Tatsiana Kaneuskaya is from Homel. Her son Aliaksandr has been convicted for drugs for five years. Initially, she wanted to go on a hunger strike in her hometown and turn to the City Executive Committee for help.

– They gathered a round table, – Tatsiana continues. – There were the deputy chairman of the city executive committee, the chief prosecutor of Homel, a representative of the police and the KGB. They told me about the way in which such events take place: what I should do and what I should not. We talked, but eventually I was warned: the campaign would not be allowed. It was said orally, and then I filed an official paper.

The refusal came in writing as well, but it did not stop the mother.

– In a private conversation with a policeman, I asked if I could hold the strike in a private house," – Tatyana says. – He replied: this is your territory, but you have no right to put up action-oriented posters, or shout any slogans.

So the protesters decided to get together at someone's house and starve there.

The day before, on Thursday, at work, Tatsiana was asked to write a resignation notice.

– I am a social worker, – the woman tells about herself. – Today (April 26 – note), I have been summoned to the district executive committee, where they said: your campaign does not combine with your work. The conversation was very delicate, and I was promised that, as soon as the hunger strike is over, I would be able to come back.

Tatiana does not know how long the campaign will last. The event is declared as indefinite, there are three demands: to meet with Lukashenka, to create a commission that would deal with the revision of cases under Article 328, and to soften Article 328.

– I've been a Matchyn Rukh member for two years, – Tatsiana explains. – For the past two years we have been trying to change Article 328 peacefully – we were gathering at round tables, meeting with deputies. We were promised a softening, but the days go by, and nothing happens. This campain is a very difficult step for us, this is a step of desperation.

The protesters have warned Lukashenka’s administration about the hunger strike.

– On Monday morning (April 23 – note), I sent an electronic appeal, asked to meet with Aliaksandr Lukashenka personally, – the interlocutor says. – I sent the same letter on paper. Today (April 26 – note), Zhyhar Larysa and Alena Kuzniatsova went to the administration again and filed one more appeal.

Tatsiana says that since Tuesday, "their girls" from Mahiliou, Vitsebsk, Hrodna, Homel, Minsk, Lida, Marjina Horka have forwarded appeals to the prosecutor's office, regional, district and city executive committees, where they said: "On April 27, we, Mothers-328 of those illegally convicted, go on a hunger strike."

– We really want to be heard, because the demands that we make are quite simple, – Tatsiana concludes.

We remind that the responsibility for drugs was toughened in Belarus in late 2014. The Investigative Committee has the following data on the number of reported drug-related crimes: in 2014, there were 7,193 crimes, in 2015 – 7051, in 2016 – 6041, in 2017 – 5068.