Libereco calls to defend Aliaksei Shchadrou

Libereco, a Swiss-German human rights organisation, launched a campaign to defend Catholic believer from Belarus Aliaksei Shchadrou (Aleksei Shchedrov).

The information was spread by the press service of the organising committee to create the Belarusian Christian party.

“We can not accept that Aleksei Shchedrov should be persecuted because of his admirable and generous help for people in need. The accusations against him are groundless, unfair and a violation of his human rights. The Belarusian authorities have to stop all criminal proceedings against him immediately,” Libereco chairperson Lars Bünger said.

The organisation urges Belarusians to sign an online petition to Lukashenka on Facebook, appeal to the Investigation Committee and send greetings to Aliaksei Shchadrou .

Swiss and German human rights activists will also brief Catholic and Protestant bishops and churches, members of parliament, NGOs and media about the repressions against Aliaksei Shchadrou.

“I think, among others, especially Christians should raise their voice for their fellow believer and protest against the persecution of Aleksei Shchedrov. We all, no matter what we believe in, should not stand aside when a man who is helping the poor needs our support,” Lars Bünger summed up.

The police initiated a criminal case against a resident of the village of Aliaksandrauka, Catholic Aliaksei Shchadrou , who opened a shelter for homeless people.

He is charged with violating article 193.1 of the Criminal Code, in particular, “organising the activity … of an unregistered religious organisation and providing the conditions for its functioning without obtaining registration in due order”. Aliaksei Shchadrou is accused of “uniting religious people from the village and homeless people into a stable group”, equipping a room “for practicing the religious cult and satisfying other religious needs”. Aliaksei may face criminal prosecution.