Pickets
in support of Byelorussian opposition held in St.Petersburg
Press Release
January 6, 2011
A series of one-person pickets against the
actions of the Belarus authorities when hundreds of oppositional
activists had been arrested after the election day was held
in the centre of St.Petersburg on January 5, 2011.
The activists held placards in support of the Byelorussian
opposition and after the action the picketers went to the
Consulate Department of Belarus so that to light candles in
support of the arrested there. Alexander Astafyev, Russian
journalist, who had been arrested by the Belarus authorities
on December 19 also participated in the action.
About 600 people were arrested on the night after the presidential
election in Belarus on December 19, 2010. Many of the detained
were held under arrest for several days, including presidential
candidates from the opposition and journalists.
In spite of the fact that many of the detained were released,
about 30 people have been still held in the KGB prison. They
are incriminated organisation of public disorder and may get
imprisonment for up to 15 years. Thus, presidential candidates
Andrei Sannikov, Vladimir Neklyaev, Andrei Mikhalevich and
Nikolai Statkevich, as well as their authorized representatives,
members of their electoral head-quarters, journalists and
activists from the opposition have been still imprisoned.
Two Russian citizens are also held imprisoned.
Chair of YABLOKO Sergei Mitrokhin on behalf of the party
addressed Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko with a request
to release all the detained which “could become a signal of
a dialogue with the opposition which is required for maintaining
stability in the republic, as well as the Eastern European
region in general.”
The International Federation of Liberal Youth (IFLRY), [the
Youth YABLOKO is a member of IFLRY] also demanded from Alexander
Lukashenko to stop violence against activists from the opposition
and human rights activists and release all the political prisoners.
