Bundestag member supports Syarhei Kazakou

Angelika Graf, a member of the SPD parliamentary group in the Bundestag, took on godparenthood for Syarhei Kazakou.

The Prisoner’s Godparenthood campaign was initiated several months ago by human rights organization Libereco - Partnership for Human Rights.

Syarhei Kazakou, a 19-year-old activist of European Belarus civil campaign, was given three years in a medium security penal colony. He is among the youngest persons involved in the December 19 criminal case, Radio Svaboda reports.

“Syarhei Kazakou was arrested for campaigning peacefully for a democratic Belarus. By taking on a prisoner’s godparenthood for Kazakou, I would like to draw public attention to his fate and that of his fellow detainees. I view the action of the Belarusian state as unacceptable, since it violates the basic rights of freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and freedom of organisation. I appeal to the government of Belarus, as a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to recall its commitments and to finally fulfil them,” German politician Angelika Graf said.

The Prisoner’s Godparenthood campaign for political prisoners in Belarus was initiated to give moral and other forms of support to Belarusian political prisoners. Godparents keep a close eye on the problems of the adopted political prisoners, support them and give material aid to them and their families, spread information about political prisoners in Belarus demanding to free them.

As of today, 13 European politicians have joined the campaign to take care of participants of post-election protests in Belarus.