Radio Svaboda president met with participants of hunger strike of solidarity
- 21.05.2009, 8:29
Immediately on his arrival to Minsk Jeff Gedmin held a meeting with young activists who told him about Belarusian political prisoners.
Young activists Iryna Hubskaya, Nasta Palazhanka, Artsyom Dubski, and a professor Maryana Hruzdzilovich who had been dismissed for her telling students about Freedom Day, came to the meeting with the president of Radio Liberty/Free Europe Jeff Gedmin, Radio Svaboda informs.
Jeff Gedmin explained why during his visit to Minsk he wanted to meet young activists first.
“I wanted to meet with young people who have principles. I heard and read about these young people who are fighting for their ideals. That is why I asked to meet with them in the first place,” Radio Liberty president said.
Their conversation took place in the room where the young people were on hunger strike for 12 days. Mattresses and a bottle of water are still left there. An activist of the Young Front Nasta Palazhanka explained that the hunger strike was stopped after oppositional politicians asked to stop it saying that they accept responsibility for political prisoners. Jeff Gedmin asked why the young people had chosen the hunger strike as a form of the protest, and asked about political objectives of the young activists.
A participant of the Process of Fourteen Artsyom Dubski expressed concern over the future of the businessman from Vaukavysk Mikalay Autukhovich, who continues a hunger strike in the remand prison #q for more than a month.
“I know it’s not easy for him, and over the month of hunger strike his health has worsened,” Artsyom Dubski said. “He has been taken to the prison hospital. We want his immediate release under a written undertaking not to leave the place”.
Nasta Palazhanka noted no changes are taking place in Belarus now.
“I think that even with a new policy of Europe towards Belarus, both Americans and Europeans understand perfectly well that in Belarus everything is going on the way Lukashenka wishes and says. No particular democratic changes are taking place here. I think that everybody understands that it is the only country in Europe where dictatorship exists,” the activist of the Young Front said.
In the end of the meeting young activists congratulated Jeff Gedmin on the anniversary of the Belarusian service of Radio Liberty (Radio Svaboda) and thanked for support.