Protest March “Can’t Live Like That Anymore!” Participants Call Belarusians to Take Part In Charnobylski Shljah-2002 :: Charter'97 :: News

The participants of the Protest March “Can’t Live Like That Anymore!” called the Belarusian citizens to take part in the Charnobylski Shliah-2002 (Charnobyl’s Way-2002), which will be held on April 26. This call was voiced at the today’s press conference in Minsk, held by the Zubr activists released from jail yesterday: Dzmitser Barodka, Aleh Myatselitsa, Alyaksandra Andzhieuskaya, ZUBR press secretary Alyaksandr Atroschankau and academician Heorgy Lepin. ZUBR activists will join the Charnobylski Shliah. They will protest not only against the regime’s policy relating liquidation of the Charnobyl’s consequences. They are going to express their protest to mass deentions of their friends during the Protest March.

The released Protest March participants also shared their impressions about five days stay in hands of the Belarusian police. For instance, Zubr press secretary brought his waistcoat, which he was wearing on April 19 during the demonstration’s dispersal. On the backside of the waistcoat a black mark of policeman’s heavy boot is visible… As Atroschankau informed, on April 22 when a court was to take place, he with two organizers of the Protests March, Mikalai Khalezin and filmmaker Yuri Khaschavatsky, were kept in an unventilated police bus for 23 hours in total. They were allowed to go to lavatory for two or three times under convoy. The police refused to hand over water and food brought by relatives of the detainees. The Charter’97 press center has already reported that they were driven all over the city in the police bus all night long.

In the holding-and-dispatch jail in the Akrestsina St, as said by the Zubr activist and human rights watchdog of “Viasna” center Dzmitser Barodka, people were treated better, but many detainees had bad pains because of injuries received by the demo’s dispersal. The injured were proposed only painkillers by the physicians of the special detention center. The human rights watchdog Barodka was not only detained by the police, which is a violation of the law. When he was released five days later, nobody gave him back his credentials of the human rights center observer.

The details of the court arbitrariness that happened in the courts of the Soviet, Partyzansky and Central districts of Minskon April 22 are now revealed. Dzmitser Barodka witnessed how the judges of these disctricts said to the accused who lodged appeals for attorney, the following: “If you want an attorney, go looking them at the Akrestsina St” (where the special detention center is situated). As a result, people were taken back to detention center, or to the special bus, after the trials were postponed for two or three (!) hours. As you would expect, no attorneys were found in police buses or at the special detention center...

Professor Heorgy Lepin told about his court ordeal. Before lodging a complaint to the court, he reached an agreement with a famous Belarusian lawyer Vera Stramkouskaya. She could defend him only on April 26. Lepin notified the judge about it, asking to reschedule the hearing. Judge told him to come to the court the next day, to settle the rescheduling of the trial. When Heorgy Lepin came to the court, he was tried without an attorney, regardless of his protests and objections.

The injured demonstrators of the Protest March are set to lodge a complaint to the UN Committee against Tortures.

Telling about all the brutality they underwent, the participants of he press conference however did not look disheartened or intimidated. On the contrary, their enthusiasm as they told about lectures on cinematography by Khaschevatsky and on political science by Bandarenka read in prison cell, was striking. They told that they feel even more united and their spirit became stronger. Professor Heorgy Lepin has found the most accurate words for explaining their mood:

“Throughout last several years I participated in all actions organized by opposition. Today I must say definitely that my participation in the Protest March “Can’t Live Like That Anymore!” is a distinct case. For the first time I saw so many young people at the opposition action. While before there were 10-20% of young people at demos, there were 80% of young participants at the Protest March. I saw some kind of progress. Some hope appeared. When the young people come to realize that we can’t live like that anymore, not all hope is lost.

At this action for the first time I saw such a pitiless treatment of protesters by the police. It was a pack of beasts attacking people, tearing them apart. While sitting in a bus, pushed there by special forces (AMAP), the history of ancient Rome came to my mind. A slave was not considered a man there. A slave was a nobody, something non-existent. And I saw that we, protesters, were nobody for them.

Another thing. I looked at the guys who were packed to the police bus with me, with whom I sat at the police station of the Soviet district. The main thing that amazed me was their cheerfulness. They were not intimidated. I have not seen a single frightened face. I saw self-respect, dignity, and confidence on every face. And it is great. We have future.”