Day of Our Solidarity :: Charter'97 :: News

Today the Day of Solidarity with Belarus is traditionally celebrated in Belarus and all over the world. Hundreds thousands of Belarusians and friends of our country all over the world will light candles as a sign of solidarity with families of the abducted oppositionists and political prisoners, with all those who are fighting for freedom and democracy in Belarus. Many people will gather with candles of memory and solidarity to the squares of their cities. Rallies with demands to release political prisoners in Belarus and start democratic reforms are to take place all over the world.

Solidarity actions are to take place on February 16 in Washington, Warsaw, Lublin, Krakow, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Brussels, Stockholm, Prague ad many other cities and countries.

Days of Belarusian Soidarity are held on the 16th day of every month. The initiative to mark Days of Solidarity started after policemen disbanded a protest rally dedicated to the memory of the abducted on September 16, 2005. On September 16, 2005 a memory of abduction of vice speaker of the Supreme Soviet of the 13th convocation Viktar Hanchar and a businessman and public leader Anatol Krasouski was marked. Protesters were also holding portraits of ex-Minister of Interior Affairs Yury Zakharanka and a journalist Dzmitry Zavadski. Policemen seized portraits of disappeared politicians and national flags from the participants. At that moment one of the Zubr leaders Mikita Sasim raised his jeans shirt as a symbol of resistance to dictatorship.