International Solidarity With Belarusian Strikers :: Charter'97 :: News

Ambassadors of he European Union share aims of the hunger strike of the deputy group “Respublika”, told Stephane Chmelewsky, Ambassador of France to Belarus during the meetings with the deputies Syarhei Skrabets, Uladzimir Parfyanovich and Valery Fralou. Other ambassadors of the EU countries, accredited in Belarus (Polish, Lithuanian, Czech, Slovak, Swedish, German, British) also took place in the meeting. As said by Stephane Chmelewsky, the purposes of the hunger strike are “the purposes of the EU as well”. On the same day the protesters were visited by the OSCE mission representatives headed by Ambassador Eberhard Heiken. “The OSCE over last years was insisting on making amendments to the Election Code, and also expects the authorities to carry out investigation of Marynich’s case in conformity with the law,” told Heiken. Today OSCE Chairman-in-Office, minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria Mr.Solomon Pasi, who arrives in Minsk on June, 8, is to visit the strikers. The official representative of Bulgarian FM Petr Krajchev told to Radio Svaboda that there is a meeting with opposition in the plan of Solomon Pasi’s visit. Sofia informs that OSCE Chairman-in-Office knows about the strike of Belarusian deputies and keeps up to date with it. The deputy of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Christos Pourgourides, the author of the well-known report “Disappeared in Belarus” expressed his support to the protesters as well.

Besides, the presidium of the Political council of the Union of Right Forces (SPS) of Russia sent a letter of support to the participants of the hunger strike, which started on June 3 by three Belarusian parliamentarians and by 4 activists of the United Civil Party (UCP), who demand democratization of the Election Code. As Rosbalt was told by the press service of the UCP on Monday, the Russians expressed their admiration by a courageous move of the participants of the protest. “We know how difficult it is to resist the regime of Lukashenka in today’s Belarus. Moreover, timeless hunger strike is a protest which constitutes real danger for life,” the Russian politicians say in their letter.

As we have informed, three deputies of “Respublika” group together with four activists of the UCP are demanding an election reform bill consideration by the parliament, and release of famous oppositional activist Mikhail Marynich.

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