Valery Levaneuski’s Address to Vendors of Belarus :: Charter'97 :: News

Dear friends! As expected, the regime is assaulting small business again and again. It would last until the political climate in the state would change. And it would not change unless you yourself would assert your rights and legal interests, take part in all processes in the country, including the political ones. A ten-year experience shows that your passivity and absence of political demands leads to your ruining, new taxes and exactions.

A long and difficult struggle is awaiting you. Recent events are the first signs of what expects you. The main mistake of majority of businessmen is that they defend their rights from time to time, and are looking for a justification not to support their activists and organizations throughout a year, which leads to spontaneity and disorderliness of protest rallies. I know most of opposition politicians, and if you would find common ground with them, come to an understanding with other organizations, it would be much easier to defend your rights together.

I regret that I cannot be with you, as I am locked up. I know that I could be of use to you in this difficult time. Choose new leaders, indispensably provide financial support to them, detect planted agents and impostors, use recourses of other organizations. Then you are bound to succeed.

After my discharge we are to meet again.

For a new Belarus!

With respect,

Valery Levaneuski,
Chairman of the National Strike Committee of Vendors of Belarus, a member of the Council of Civil Initiatives “Free Belarus”

(Correctional labour colony number 22, “Vouchyja Nory”)

Note:
On September 7, 2004 court of the Lenin district of Hrodna found Chairman of the National Strike Committee of Vendors, member of the Council of Civil Initiatives “Free Belarus” Valery Levaneuski, and deputy chairman of the Strike Committee Alyaksandr Vasilyeu guilty of public slander of Belarusian President connected with a grave crime (Article 368 Part 2 of the Criminal Code), and sentenced them to two years of imprisonment of the minimum-security colony. It was written in the verdict that the sentence “Come and say that you are against somebody’s skiing in Austria at your expense”, printed in leaflets, contains insult of honor and dignity of the president of the Republic of Belarus.
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