New action of solidarity with political prisoners in Minsk (Photo)

• 19.06.2009, 12:27

Another street action of solidarity with political prisoner was organized near Impulse consumer market near Yakub Kolas square.

Activists of the civil campaign “European Belarus” stood along the road holding in their hands portraits of Mikalai Autukhovich, who has been on protest hunger strike for more than two months in pre-trial detention facility #1 of the city militia department of the Minsk city executive committee. Activists used a megaphone to tell the Minsk dwellers, watching the picket, about political prisoners and the situation with human rights in the country. Militiamen who came to the entrance of Impulse shopping center 20 minutes after the action had begun just watched its participants. Activist handed round leaflets with information about political prisoners.

Leaders of entrepreneurs from Vaukavysk Mikalai Autukhovich, Yury Lyavonau, and Uladzimir Asipenka were detained on February 8, 2009. On February 18, they were charged under article 218 of the Criminal Code (intentional damage to or destruction of property). Human rights activists consider the detainees to be political prisoners drawing attention to the fact Autukhovich and Lyavonau were convicted before and recognized prisoners of conscience by the international community.