13 декабря власти Беларуси освободили 123 заключенных в результате переговоров, проведенных администрацией США, которая согласилась снять санкции на экспорт белорусского калия. Большинство из них были вывезены в Украину, а группа из девяти человек — в Литву. Почти все освобожденные приговорены к лишению свободы за мирную реализацию прав человека.
Освобождение этих людей принесло облегчение и радость их семьям, коллегам, друзьям и сторонникам. Но те, кто не нашел имена своих близких в списках, испытали и горечь разочарования. Более 1 100 человек остаются за решеткой ровно по той же причине — они мирно реализовывали собственные права.
Среди них — член Совета «Вясны», известный правозащитник Валентин Стефанович, правозащитница, координаторка волонтерской службы «Вясны» Марфа Рабкова, одна из ведущих правозащитниц страны Наста (Анастасия) Лойко. Их приговорили к длительным срокам в отместку за законную правозащитную деятельность.
Nasta (Anastasia) Lojka is a prominent human rights defender, particularly well known for her work on anti-discrimination, equality issues, fair trial, rights of foreigners and stateless persons, and human rights education.
Lojka is a prominent human rights defender, particularly well known for her work on anti-discrimination, equality issues, fair trial, rights of foreigners and stateless persons, and human rights education.
In September-December 2022, Lojka had served a total of six 15-day administrative arrest sentences on bogus “petty hooliganism” administrative charges. On December 24, while still in administrative detention, she was charged with criminal offenses of “organizing group actions grossly violating public order” and “incitement of racial, national, religious or other social enmity or discord.” Lojka suffered ill-treatment and torture both during administrative and pre-trial detention.
In June 2023, the Minsk City Court sentenced Lojka to seven years in prison. A report by Loika on human rights abuses by Belarusian police was used as a key piece of “evidence” against her.
Marfa Rabkova is a human rights activist and coordinator of Viasna’s program for volunteers who, among other things, worked to organize monitoring of elections and of peaceful protests.
Rabkova is a human rights activist and coordinator of Viasna’s program for volunteers who, among other things, worked to organize monitoring of elections and of peaceful protests.
On September 17, 2020, law enforcement raided Rabkova’s home and detained her. Rabkova was charged with “training or other preparation of persons to participate in riots or funding such activities,” “inciting social enmity” and “involvement in a criminal group.”
In September 2022, a court in Minsk sentenced Rabkova to 15 years in prison. She is serving her sentence in Homiel penal colony N4 and her heath has significantly deteriorated due to dire conditions and ill treatment in prison.
You can find out more about imprisoned Viasna activists at the webpage of FreeViasna’s campaign.
Valiantsin Stefanovic is a board member of Viasna and a prominent human rights advocate.
Stefanovic is a board member of Viasna and a prominent human rights advocate.
After a house search and interrogation in July 2021, he was detained on the same bogus charges of “tax evasion” as Bialiatski. In March 2023, a court in Minsk sentenced Stefanovic to nine years in prison for “cash smuggling by an organized group” and “financing activities, grossly violating public order.”
In Belarusian, “Viasna” means spring. When speaking at his show trial, Stefanovich said that prosecution of activists won’t end Viasna’s work. Instead, it will be carried on by new generations of rights defenders. “And in the end, winter will always be followed by spring,” he said.
You can find out more about imprisoned Viasna activists at the webpage of FreeViasna’s campaign.
Власти Беларуси не в первый раз освобождают политических заключенных —и высылают их из страны. Ранее оппозиционный политик Николай Статкевич отказался покидать Беларусь в составе группы заключенных, аналогичным образом помилованных Александром Лукашенко в сентябре после предыдущего раунда переговоров с Соединенными Штатами. В результате власти вернули Статкевича за решетку.
Критики режима не должны оказываться перед выбором между принудительным изгнанием и тюрьмой. Беларусь обязана освободить всех политических заключенных без каких-либо условий и прекратить политически мотивированные репрессии.
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