International call for solidarity with Belarusian political prisoners, 30/6–2/7

2011 short documentaries with English subtitles

Comrades in Belarus are now trying to get their mates out of prison. One of the ideas was to put pressure on the EU, in relation to political prisoners. So, they put out the following call for soli actions. Would be great if you can help them spread the word.

It has been a long time since the last call for solidarity with the Belarusian anarchists appeared. Today we have to admit that a new wave of solidarity is needed urgently to help them get out of prison. That’s why we call you to participate in days of action in solidarity with Belarusian political prisoners from June 30th to July 2nd, 2012.

Activists Ihar Alinevich, Mikalai Dziadok, Artsiom Prakapenka, Pavel Syramolatau, Aliaksandr Frantskievich, Jauhen Vas’kovich that were detained in autumn 2010 and winter 2011, and then sentenced to 3 up to 8 years’ imprisonment in May 2011 for a series of attacks on state and capital symbols, are finishing their second year in prison. During this time their comrades and relatives did their best to help them feel comfortable in custody and set them free.

In October 2011 they were acknowledged as political prisoners by right-watch organizations. This fact gave them bigger chances to be freed as soon as possible, because at the moment the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko faces pressure from the European Union with respective demands to set free all political prisoners and decriminalize them. From August 2011 he has already pardoned more than 30 of them, but none of our comrades was granted release. Lukashenko said publicly that he would pardon only those who will sign the petition for pardon, thus admitting their guilt and asking him personally for mercy. All the rest will remain in prison, he stated.

In fact two comrades, Mikalai Dziadok and Aliaksandr Frantskievich, were already asked if they want to sign the petition in August 2011, and both refused to do so. Now there are 13 political prisoners left in Belarus, among them five of our comrades and one more person, imprisoned for an action of solidarity with them.

We are sure that none of them will ask for mercy, because it would be a shame for an anarchist or any honest person to do so. All the prisoners are experiencing different kinds of pressure from the administration of the prisons they are held in, because Lukashenko wants to be a winner in this situation and make it as if it is not the EU that forces him to set free the political prisoners, in fear of more political and economic sanctions, but as if it is his good will to pardon them, again only if they ask for it.

We strongly oppose the fact that our comrades are now traded for benefits from the EU. Furthermore, we condemn the pressure that they experience. The cases of pressure on the prisoners include: transfers to other penal institutions, deprivation of food supply from the outside, deprivation of visits and cuts on the dates with relatives, deprivation of phone calls, delays and gaps in letters’ supply, placing to solitary cells, transfers to a penal facility with special regime, etc. We call everybody to protest against these tortures and demand the immediate liberation of the political prisoners in Belarus, including anarchists.

We welcome solidarity actions of ANY kind starting from now on to accumulate amount of it on days of solidarity. We also ask you to make solidarity actions at least once a month, if you find it possible, even after the days of solidarity. We need constant pressure on the regime and the EU politicians in this situation. Let it be a non-stopping roll of action all over the world, until our comrades are free!

Anarchist Black Cross Belarus – Friends and relatives of arrested

contact: belarus_abc[at]riseup.netmore about the attacks / more about the sentences —info also here