Young Front Activists Go On Hunger Strike :: Charter'97 :: News

In Salihorsk a hunger strike of protest against criminal prosecution of the leaders an activist of the Young Front and of the political opposition has started. The Young Front activists Maxim Syamenchyk, Syarhei Patskevich, Illya and Ivan Shyla went on a hunger strike of protest in a private apartment. On the balcony they placed a streamer “Freedom to political prisoners!”

“We have taken extreme measures in order to attract attention of the society to the criminal prosecution of the Young Front leaders. We demand to stop criminal prosecution of our activists and immediate release of all political prisoners. We call upon representatives of other organizations and other regions to join out protest,” hunger-stickers told to the Charter’97 press center.

As we have informed, the pressure on the activists of the Young Front started during the presidential election campaign. In Minsk and in provinces searches were held in the apartments of the Young Front members. Office equipment, printed materials and documents were seized during searches. Young activists were summoned to police, the prosecutor’s office and the KGB. Their parents are threatened by dismissal. Several criminal actions have been brought up against them. The Young Front leaders Zmitser Dashkevich, Barys Haretski, Paval Krasuski, Syarzhuk Lisichonak, Syarzhuk Marchyk, Aleh Korban are suspected of actions “grossly violating rights and interests of citizens”. The cases are related to the well-known “political” amendments to the Criminal Code, adopted in the run-up to the presidential elections.

In Salihorsk, where the hunger strike of protest started, this week activists have been summoned to interrogations by the KGB and Prosecutor’s office.