DAY OF SOLIDARITY WITH BELARUS
The 16th day of each month marks the DAY OF SOLIDARITY WITH BELARUS.
The initiative started, after police violently disbanded a non-violent rally, held in memory of abducted Belarusian citizens in Minsk on September 16, 2005. The same day, preparations started for the first 'Day of Solidarity with Belarus' in order to remember politically motivated crimes, which never were solved by Belarusian investigation authorities until today.
Since four years, people gather with portraits of abducted co-citizens in the streets of Minsk, while others are placing candles in their window for to show silently their solidarity with the families of abducted and most probably murdered opposition leaders, with political prisoners and prisoners of conscience - and with repressed members of civil society in Belarus.
Today marks the 10th anniversary of disappearances of Anatol Krasouski and Viktar Hanchar - who disappeared in 1999.
FREE THEATRE BELARUS stages today the play DISCOVER LOVE in Washington D.C. for the very first time in the USA. 'Discover Love' is based on the true story of IRYNA KRASOUSKAYA - whose husband Anatol was kidnapped in Minsk ten years ago. Her husband was known as a prominent supporter of the opposition movement in Belarus, when he was kidnapped together with Viktar Hanchar, then the Vice-Speaker of the Belarusian parliament.
Both disappeared like many other persons disappeared in Belarus between 1999 and 2001 - but not a single of these cases was ever solved by the responsible authorities. International investigations were in initiated by the Council of Europe, but were pro-actively hampered by Belarusian authorities at the highest level. Therefore - in April 2004 - the Assembly of the Council of Europe decided, that the informal presence of members of the Belarusian parliament during Assembly sessions or other Assembly events will be inappropriate until a proper investigation is carried out on the issue of disappeared persons.
The actual 'Report on Belarus' - which was drafted by Council of Europe rapporteur Mr. Andrea Rigoni in May 2009 - confirms that not a single case of disappeared persons were solved by judiciary in Belarus.
Like Free Theatre Belarus, you are invited to show an individual sign of solidarity with Belarus. Maybe you are doing it for the first time, maybe you are glad to hear, that people like you still care for this tradition.
The easiest way to show solidarity is to invite some friends to this group (on Facebook). Fans of Free Theatre are providing informations like this one, when it is related to Free Theatre Minsk.
The most noble way is to light a candle at least in your heart. Send your light to those, who have to suffer in the darkness of jails in Belarus or who were forced to leave their motherland. Your individual solidarity with Belarus is needed today more than ever - so please let it shine for a minute for those, who are missing their beloved ones.
My dear Belarusians, please share this information with your English-speaking friends.
ЖЫВЕ БЕЛАРУСЬ!
The initiative started, after police violently disbanded a non-violent rally, held in memory of abducted Belarusian citizens in Minsk on September 16, 2005. The same day, preparations started for the first 'Day of Solidarity with Belarus' in order to remember politically motivated crimes, which never were solved by Belarusian investigation authorities until today.
Since four years, people gather with portraits of abducted co-citizens in the streets of Minsk, while others are placing candles in their window for to show silently their solidarity with the families of abducted and most probably murdered opposition leaders, with political prisoners and prisoners of conscience - and with repressed members of civil society in Belarus.
Today marks the 10th anniversary of disappearances of Anatol Krasouski and Viktar Hanchar - who disappeared in 1999.
FREE THEATRE BELARUS stages today the play DISCOVER LOVE in Washington D.C. for the very first time in the USA. 'Discover Love' is based on the true story of IRYNA KRASOUSKAYA - whose husband Anatol was kidnapped in Minsk ten years ago. Her husband was known as a prominent supporter of the opposition movement in Belarus, when he was kidnapped together with Viktar Hanchar, then the Vice-Speaker of the Belarusian parliament.
Both disappeared like many other persons disappeared in Belarus between 1999 and 2001 - but not a single of these cases was ever solved by the responsible authorities. International investigations were in initiated by the Council of Europe, but were pro-actively hampered by Belarusian authorities at the highest level. Therefore - in April 2004 - the Assembly of the Council of Europe decided, that the informal presence of members of the Belarusian parliament during Assembly sessions or other Assembly events will be inappropriate until a proper investigation is carried out on the issue of disappeared persons.
The actual 'Report on Belarus' - which was drafted by Council of Europe rapporteur Mr. Andrea Rigoni in May 2009 - confirms that not a single case of disappeared persons were solved by judiciary in Belarus.
Like Free Theatre Belarus, you are invited to show an individual sign of solidarity with Belarus. Maybe you are doing it for the first time, maybe you are glad to hear, that people like you still care for this tradition.
The easiest way to show solidarity is to invite some friends to this group (on Facebook). Fans of Free Theatre are providing informations like this one, when it is related to Free Theatre Minsk.
The most noble way is to light a candle at least in your heart. Send your light to those, who have to suffer in the darkness of jails in Belarus or who were forced to leave their motherland. Your individual solidarity with Belarus is needed today more than ever - so please let it shine for a minute for those, who are missing their beloved ones.
My dear Belarusians, please share this information with your English-speaking friends.
ЖЫВЕ БЕЛАРУСЬ!