Belarusian intellectuals demand to release political prisoners

The Council of Belarusian Intellectuals calls on politicians from Belarus, the European Union and the United States to start an international solidarity campaign to release Mikalai Autukhovich, Yury Lyavonau, and Uladzimir Asipenka.

A statement, adopted in Minsk on May 27, notes that a long hunger strike Autukhovich has been holding since April 16, menaces his life seriously; condition of Yury Lyavonau and Uladzimir Asipenka has also deteriorated.

The authors of the statement think no programme, including the Eastern Partnership initiative, is not worth health of prisoners of conscience and political hostages, as a human life is prime value.

According to film director and teacher Uladzimir Kolas, during two years before the presidential elections the council should use its influence to consolidate the democratic forces and propose a single candidate for the post of head of state.

As film director Yury Khashchavatski noted, only by joint efforts the democratic forces can oppose the ballot-rigging at the presidential elections. He thinks the council should define its attitude towards the so called liberalization, when the authorities continue throwing people into prisons for their views.

Former presidential candidate Alyaksandr Kazulin thinks in a situation when 70 per cent of young people are ready to leave the country because they see no opportunities to use their abilities and ensure their demands, non-changing the current electoral legislation contradicts a free and democratic declaration of will of people at the elections, which results are unable to guarantee independence of the state.

Academician Radzim Haretski drew attention to anti-Belarusian policy of denationalization carried out in the country. According to the scientist, “people are even afraid to speak Belarusian.” Another fact shows nothing has changed in Belarus: 17 Minsk organizations refused to lend premises for the V congress of the Belarusians of the world, Radzim Haretski said.

It should be reminded that activists of the entrepreneurs’ movement from Vaukavysk Mikalai Autukhovich, Yury Lyavonau, and Uladzimir Asipenka were detained on February 8, 2009, and guarded to pre-trial detention center #1 in Minsk. Autukhovich went on indefinite hunger strike on April 16. The investigation of the case of the Vaukavysk businessmen was extended till June 3.

Human rights activists consider the arrested to be political prisoners drawing attention to the fact Mikalai Autukhovich and Yury Lyavonau were thrown into prison before and recognized prisoners of conscience by the international community.