Ukrainian pro-democracy youths threaten to block entrances to Belarusian embassy over arrests of fellow activists in Minsk :: Charter'97 :: News

Members of the National Alliance youth association threaten to block all entrances to the Belarusian embassy in Kyiv if the Belarusian authorities refuse to release the Ukrainians arrested and jailed in Minsk before May 3.

Five activists of the National Alliance, including leader Ihor Huz, were sentenced to jail time over their participation in an April 26 Chernobyl anniversary rally in central Minsk. The sentences handed down to the activists range in length between nine and 15 days.

As a source with the association told BelaPAN, the Ukrainian authorities have been pushing for the release of the detainees and the National Alliance hopes that “Mr. Lukashenko is still capable of maintaining a civilized dialog.”

The organization put up a tent camp near the Belarusian embassy earlier this week and has kept a 24-hour vigil outside the diplomatic compound to protest the mistreatment of its members.

Ukrainian pro-democracy youths have staged an awareness raising campaign in Lutsk, Ivano-Frankivsk and Chernivtsi to draw public attention to the arrests. The campaign is expected to spread to other cities in the near future.

In addition, the National Alliance plans to inform Kyiv-based foreign embassies about the crackdown on the protesters and the general situation in Belarus.