20 persons already take part in hunger strike of solidarity with Mikalay Autukhovich
- 6.05.2009, 13:37
7 more public activists have joined the indefinite hunger strike of solidarity with Yury Lyavonau and Uladzimir Asipenka.
As the news agency BelaPAN was told by one of the protesters, a former political prisoner Andrei Kim, Maryana Hruzdzilovich joined the hunger strike. She is to continue the hunger strike at home. Besides, members of the youth organisation “Young Front” Iryna Hubskaya and Hleb Snarkin have joined the protest, and they are to stay in the headquarters of the Belarusian Popular Front party with the main group of the participants of the rally of solidarity.
Syarhei Antoshankau, Irah Kisyalyou who lives in France, and Aleh Alkaeu in Germany have joined the hunger strike as well. They are to hold the hunger strike in the places they live. Besides, a member of the Belarusian Christian Democracy party Zmitser Butsenka joined the hunger strike.
At the moment 20 persons participate in the hunger strike of solidarity in different forms.
“We are in a good humour. The night passed well,” Andrei Kim said. He holds the hunger strike in the headquarters of the Belarusian Popular Front party. “The atmosphere is very friendly here, we all pray here and discuss different problems and talk about our affairs. I think it is more difficult for those who are on hunger strike at home without the support we feel here”.
Another protester, a member of the “Young Front” Mikalay Dzemidzenka noted, that people who are on hunger strike in the Belarusian Popular Front party headquarters, are visited regularly. “Every day journalists and people who know about the hunger strike come and bring water. Visitors of the headquarters come to us too. Every day we are visited by one of the initiators of the Belarusian Christian Democracy party Paval Sevyarynets. We have never a dull moment,” M. Dzemidzenka said.
As said by the protesters, they feel well, and they have no health complaints so far.
As it has been informed, on May 4 a number of political and public leaders of Belarus declared indefinite hunger strike in support of detained entrepreneurs from Vaukavysk, who are kept in the remand prison number 1 in Minsk. Participants of the hunger strike include the former presidential candidate Alyaksandr Kazulin, the Belarusian Popular Front party leader Lyavon Barshcheuski, former political prisoners Andrei Kim, Mikola Statkevich, Syarhei Skrabets, and the leader of coordinating council of businessmen Alyaksandr Makaeu.
Participants of the hunger strike demand to lift charges from Autukhovich, Lyavonau and Asipenka, to release them immediately, to exonerate all political prisoners in the country and to stop politically motivated persecution of citizens.