Tenth Anniversary of Striped Overalls March :: Charter'97 :: News

30 August 1997 the meeting in defense of free press was held in Minsk in Bangalore Square. Representatives of the non-state-owned mass media joint the meeting activists. The journalists were dressed in prison stripped overalls thus showing their solidarity with the ORT TV channel journalist Pave Harames who was then in prison. Well-known film director Yuri Khaschevatsky, editor of the “Svaboda” newspaper Igar Hermenchuk spoke to the meeting. Poet Slavamir Adamovich protesting against the speech freedom violation stitched his mouth right at the meeting rostrum. Around 5000 people participated in the meeting.

Among the meeting participants were deputy spokesman of the Supreme Council Viktar Ganchar and former interior minister Yuri Zakharenka. The policymakers completely disappeared in 1999.Belarusian top-rank officials are suspected of being involved in their disappearance.