Activists of the Amnesty International branch from the British town of Bracknell lit up candles in their houses to express support to Belarusian political prisoners, abducted oppositionists, their families, independent journalists, to all who fight for freedom and democracy in Belarus. The human rights watchdogs reported about that to the Charter’97 press center.
On November 16 we, Belarusian citizens, were supported in our endeavours to get liberty and democracy, were supported by very many people abroad. The Charter’97 press center continues to receive solidarity letters, full of warmth and love to our country.
Yesterday, on November 16, the Belarusian Center in Belgium together with the Brussels-based Office for Democratic Belarus, organized a demonstration in support of the Day of Solidarity in Belarus. Over 30 Belarusians came to Place Shuman in order to light up a candle and show their solidarity with those fighting for freedom and democracy back in their country.
WASHINGTON, DC- Two student members of Vzglyad, a new civil initiative that strives for freedom and peace in Belarus through the use of non-violent and non-confrontational civil actions, today staged a peaceful action to coincide with the Day of Solidarity events planned in Belarus to protest the imprisonment of political prisoners; disappearance of oppositionists and their families; the censoring, imprisonment, and murder of independent journalists; and to demonstrate on behalf of all who fight for freedom and democracy in Belarus.
Minsk city economic court sustained a claim of the newspaper “Narodnaya Volya” to the “Chyrvonaya Zorka” printing-office and demanded restore publishing of the newspaper in this printery.
In Vilnius the Belarusian students marched past the city and lit candles in the spots of Vilnius which are related to Belarusian history. The Day of Belarusian and Lithuanian Solidarity is a part of actions of solidarity with political prisoners, their families. The organizers proposed to switch off the light at 8 p.m. in flats for 15 minutes, and to lit candles in the windows.
“The Transnational Radical Party of Italy expresses its support and solidarity to all those movement that belong to the organized opposition in Belarus and that are struggling to create a democratic and non-violent alternative do the soviet-style dictatorial regime of Lukashenko.
In Copenhagen at the 51st session of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) a resolution on Belarus was passed. The document critically evaluates the political situation in Belarus. The authors call upon the Belarusian government “immediately release all political prisoners, to speed up investigation of politically motivated abductions, and to stop increasing of police detachments in Belarus”. The full text of the PA NATO resolution follows:
Eight activists of the Zubr movement were arrested by police in Mahilyou. Today morning policemen came at homes of six activists, and took them to the police department of Kastrychnitski district of Mahilyou. The names of the two of the detained are known for the moment: Vlad Zhenesku and Volodar Tiurpanau. The names of others are still to be confirmed.
Actions of solidarity with Belarus were held in many cities of Poland. Citizens of Warsaw, Poznan, Lublin, Wroclaw came to the streets with burning candles and Belarusian national white-red-white flags. The main organizer of the rally was the Union on Support of Democracy in Belarus.
On November 16 at 6.30 p.m. the civil party “Pora” gathered in Maidan Nezalezhnosti in Kyiv and held a solidarity action with the Belarusians, who fight against Lukashenka’s dictatorship. Ukrainian event has become a part of the international solidarity campaign with the Belarusian people.
In Svetlahorsk at 8 p.m. about 30 young people came to the Central Square of the town and lit candles. In this way young activists supported the Day of Solidarity with political prisoners, abducted oppositionists, their families, independent journalists, with all who fight for freedom and democracy in Belarus. The line of youth people was standing with lit candles right in front of regional executive committee and police department.
Sixteen years ago Czech society was weary of forty-years of communist dictatorship. After demonstrations were suppressed by the security police, a rally of Prague students? took place on 17 November 1989. This marked the end of the antidemocratic regime.
On November 16 at 8 p.m. thousands of Belarusians lit candles. In this way many people showed their solidarity with disappeared politicians, with those who are imprisoned for their political believes. Some people were just burning a candle and thinking about their future in this country. Activists of the youth initiative “Chas!” have supported the Day of Solidarity as well. At the stadium of one of the dormitory suburbs of Minsk a composition of candles with the number 16 inside was arranged.
300 people came to Revolution Avenue in Barysau on November 16. People were holding burning candles in their hands as a sign of solidarity with Belarusian political prisoners, abducted oppositionists, their families, independent journalists, with all who fight for freedom and democracy in Belarus. Activists of the youth movement “Zubr”, the United Civil Party, the “Maladaya Hramada”, vendors of the “Perspektiva” organization, common citizens took part in the action.
Former President Va`clav Havel`s message is unequivocal: Democratic countries should support the struggle for greater freedom in authoritarian states such as Cuba, Belarus, Myanmar and North Korea.
According to the rules of computer clubs, all users who come there to use the web, must leave their passport data and addresses in the registers. Besides, the clubs must be equipped with the software that will record all the steps of the users. That’s how the state tries to control internet.
The U.S. ambassador to Belarus has accused state-run media in that country of conducting an anti-American campaign. George Krol said Belarusian state media routinely accuse the United States of working to destabilize Belarus, foment revolt, and subjugate Belarus to America`s imperial will.
On 14 November fiver representatives of the Union of Poles in Belarus that is not recognized by the Belarusian authorities, Anzhalika Borys and four of her closest subordinates, were summonsed for interrogation to Hrodna investigative police department. Anzhalika Borys said that these interrogations had lasted for a year already. They started when she spoke against the former chair of the UPB Tadevush Kruchkouski who is supported by the Belarusian authorities.
The Day of Solidarity with political prisoners, abducted oppositionists, their families, independent journalists, with all who fight for freedom and democracy in Belarus, was held on November 16 in Belarus and all over the world. As a month before, at 8 p.m. in many windows the light was turned off, and candles were lit with the faith in free and democratic future of our country. This time the number of shimmering candles in the windows was much larger. The action was supported in many Belarusian cities – Hrodna, Brest, Vitsebsk, Homel, Mahilyou, Baranavichy, Pinsk, Polatsk, Navapolatsk, Lida, Slonim, Kobryn, Maladechna, Vilejka, Asipovichy, Pastavy, Belaaziorsk, Salihorsk, Zhodzina, Vorsha. In Barysau several hundreds people with lit candles in their hands gathered at the central square. The candles were lit in all regions of Minsk, and most actively in the Tsentralny district, Kuntsevshchyna, West and South-West, in Malinauka, Uruchcha, Shabany, Kurasoushchyna, Sukharava. The actions of solidarity with Belarus have taken place in many parts of the world. The candles of Freedom were burned in the USA, Canada, Netherlands, the Great Britain, Germany, Sweden, Slovakia, Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Estonia, Hungary, Belgium and other countries of the world.
A 100-year-old woman from Pulawy (Poland) Zosia Dranczuk, who was born in Stoubtsy district of Belarus and went through repressions in the 1950-ies, on November 16 lit up a candle with a hope for a new Belarus. On her birthday on November 12 she thanked God for his immense grace, and asked her grandchildren to be kind, not to keep darkness and evil in their souls. The candles were also burned by her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren in Warsaw, Elblag and Berlin.
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