Protesters Mark International Day Of Solidarity With Political Prisoners In Belarus
It took more than an hour for the names of Belarusian political prisoners to be read aloud near a mural of Ales Byalyatski in Vilnius, Lithuania, on May 21 during the Day Of Solidarity With Political Prisoners In Belarus. Byalyatski, a Belarusian pro-democracy activist who was sentenced to prison in what Amnesty International called a "blatant act of injustice," was awarded the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize.
Under authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka, there are nearly 1,500 political prisoners in Belarus. "These men and women have been arrested and incarcerated for exercising their human rights and fundamental freedoms in pursuit of Belarusian democracy, for protesting a fraudulent election, or for opposing Russia's war against Ukraine," the U.S. State Department said in a statement on May 20.
Protesters on Vilnius's Cathedral Square placed 150 bags representing the personal belongings of political prisoners in Belarus.
The bags represent what political prisoners are allowed to carry when they are moved to a penal colony. Each bag contains the name of a political prisoner and their sentence.
A bag containing the name of Maryya Kalesnikava, who was sentenced to 11 years in prison. Lukashenka, who is often described as Europe's last dictator, is a staunch ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
During the 2020 election, nationwide demonstrations erupted after Lukashenka declared victory in a presidential election widely seen as rigged.
Protesters took to the streets, demanding fair elections and an end to Lukashenka's rule. The government responded with excessive force and mass arrests. The repression drew international condemnation.
A framed picture of political prisoner Vitold Ashurak was also placed in the square. Ashurak, a member of several Belarusian NGOs, including For Freedom, was sentenced to a five-year prison term behind closed doors "because of the threat to state security." He died from cardiac arrest while in prison.
Washington condemned Belarus for cutting off communication between political prisoners and their families. In some cases, relatives and lawyers do not even know where the prisoners are being held.
According to the European Union, Belarus has made more than 40,000 politically motivated arrests since the summer of 2020, resulting in at least 12,000 criminal cases.