Fourth day of hunger strike of solidarity: diplomats called upon to visit Autukhovich in prison (Photo)
- 7.05.2009, 11:34
The number of participants of the hunger strike of solidarity with political prisoners held in the headquarters of the Belarusian Popular Front has more than doubled.
On May 6, 7 new persons joined 4 activists of the Young Front who had declared the indefinite hunger strike, Radio Svaboda informs.
“Besides, several common citizens have told us about participation in the hunger strike. These people express solidarity with all repressed in Belarus,” said the activist of the Young Front Mikalay Dzemidzenka. Nasta Palazhanka, Andrei Tsyanyuta and a participant of the “Process of Fourteen” Artsyom Dubski continue hunger strike in the headquarters of the Belarusian Popular Front party with him.
“I have decided to support Autukhovich, as he is hanging between life and death now,” an activist of the Young Front from Homel Andrei Tsyanyuta said. “Our moral duty is to support him and attract attention of the public to his case”.
Today representatives of the United Democratic Forces (UDF) will pass to embassies accredited in Minsk a special address.
“We are emphasizing that there are political prisoners in Belarus. We call upon holding a monitoring of the situation and not hiding from this problem,” said the chairman of the Political Council of the UDF Anatol Lyabedzka. “And we ask foreign diplomats working in Belarus to try to visit Autukhovich and those youth activists who are on the hunger strike showing solidarity with him”.
It should be noted that 7 public activists have joined the indefinite hunger strike of Mikalay Autukhovich, Yury Lyavonau and Uladzimir Asipenka: Maryana Hruzdzilovich, a teacher fired for Freedom Day (she will stay at home during the hunger strike), members of the Young Front Iryna Hubskaya and Hleb Snarkin. 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.
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.