Crackdown in Belarus continues
In March 2017 Belarus entered a harsh wave of repressions of the peaceful protest movement of citizens, democratic political parties, civil society, human rights defenders and independent mass media.
The strategy of the Belarusian authoritarian regime in the past month is seen to be targeted at consistent destruction of all spheres where a protest movement can be organised.
The repressions are not bound to the administrative persecution of those who dare to stand for their right of freedom of speech and assembly; 26 persons have been arrested on suspicion of “organising riots”.
The BCD leaders Pavel Seviarynets and Vital Rymasheuski continue to be persecuted for their participation in peaceful protest actions. On 31 March, BCD co-chair Pavel Seviarynets received 10 days of administrative arrest for participating in defending the Kurapaty (the place of mass murders during the Soviet period) from unlawful construction works.
Vital Rymasheuski will stand trial on 4 and 5 April 2017 – for the Kurapaty case and for taking part in a meeting against decree no. 3 on 17 February in Minsk.
BCD activists and other protesters, who come out of prison, speak of inhuman conditions and humiliating attitude towards them.
Every day the news about new arrests, raids, detentions are proving the antidemocratic, cowardly and cruel character of Lukashenka’s regime. The need for solidarity and the strong and united voice of the world’s democratic community on the situation in Belarus, therefore, is growing. The Center-Right Coalition in Belarus does not exclude that targeted sanctions against the high-ranking criminals and executors of malicious orders will be needed in the future.
