Belarus: Freedom to the detained workers and union activists!
Arrests were made of labor leaders and activists. The security forces also searched the offices of trade union organizations.
This morning there were many arrests of activists, mainly from the Belarusian Independent Trade Union (BNP). Law enforcement officers searched the apartment of one of the leaders of the Independent Union of OJSC Employees"Soul".At the same time, other union activists were arrested in the cities ofNavapolatsk, Hrodna y Zhlobin.
Olga Britikova was arrested and computer equipment was seized. then she was released. Two trade unionists were arrested in Navapolatsk: Andrei Berezovsky and Roman Shkodin, under article 19.11. They were not given the chance to pay a fine and were given a pear of seven and fifteen days of administrative arrest.. The office of the Navapolatsk trade union organization was subjected to a thorough search.
for many arrests, the authorities falsely appeal to the use of the article 19.11. from the KOAP of Belarus. Refers to"Distribution, manufacturing, storage, transportation of information products that contain calls for extremist activities or that promote such activities.”
The arrests had been repeated in previous days. The day 20 the president of the BNP was also imprisoned in the Novopolotk police department, Maxim Poznyakov. Later they had to release him and made him pay a fine for an old publication on the networks. few days before, Máxim spoke at the #IndustriALL Congress about the situation of Belarusian workers in terms of labor and union rights.
Other detainees were: Valentin Terenevich, vice president of the BNP Primary Trade Union Organization, in JSC Grodno, Azote, who works in the plant“Khimvolokno”. The weekend was the turn of Andrei Pogerilo and Uladjd Uladj Zhuravko, BNP members, without clarifying the reasons for the measure. Meanwhile, Aliaksandr Gashnikov was arrested in Zhlobin. He had disappeared on Friday night and was only found that day. 21 a Rovd.
It is a campaign of persecutions and charges invented by the Alexandr Lukashenko regime, against workers, activists and independent organizations that make up. These attitudes caused outrage in the Independent Union, which published ainformative note and anticipated that there will be a statement about it. The broadest solidarity with the persecuted union activists is necessary, for the freedom of the imprisoned, for the right to express yourself and give your opinion freely, for the annulment of the cases and sentences.
