Stop repression against Belarusian students!
Libereco and the Students Solidarity Alliance Belarus have launched an international petition to the Belarusian university directors due to the massive repression of students. The petition calls them to stand behind their students, to protect their rights and to end the removals from the register of students process.
Two students, Alana Gebremariam and Ksenia Syramalot, both activists of the Belarusian Union students who are currently held on politically motivated criminal charges, have been supported as part of Libereco's solidarity campaign #WeStandBYyou. As a result, Katarina Barley, Vice-President of the European Parliament, and Thomas Waitz, the President of the European Green Party, became their "godparents".
There are at least 14 students among over 160 long-term political prisoners in Belarus. In the last 3 months alone, at least 144 students have been forcibly removed from the register of students from their universities for their political activities. Over 380 students have been arrested.
Alana Gebremariam is a member of the Belarusian Students Association (BSA). She was arrested on 12 November and accused of gross disruption of public order under Article 342 of the Belarusian Criminal Code.
- Dr. Katarina Barley, Vice-President of the European Parliament
Dr. Katarina Barley, Vice-President of the European Parliament, has taken over the godparenthood for Alana Gebremariam. On this occasion she stated: “For more than a hundred days now, the Belarusian people have been fighting for democracy. They need and they deserve our full support. The EU Parliament has expressed its solidarity on several occasions, most recently with the award of the 2020 Sakharov Prize to the democratic opposition in Belarus. I too remain firmly on the side of the democratic movement in Belarus: Lukashenka must resign and pave the way for new democratic elections. But instead, he continues to hide behind his state authority to secure his power by using extreme violence. To this end, he suppresses demonstrations, arbitrarily arrests demonstrators and tries to silence critics. One such critic is the student Alana Gebremariam, who has been in custody since 13 November. Within the framework of the #WeStandBYyou campaign, I have taken over the godparenthood of this extraordinarily courageous young woman, who has been working for democracy and student participation for years, most recently also on the coordination council of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. She is the first black woman to run for parliamentary elections in Belarus. I call for her immediate release, along with all other political prisoners. Europe has not forgotten you”.
Ksenia Syramalot is a student at the Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences at the Belarusian State University. She is also a speaker for the Belarusian Students Association and a volunteer for the Human Rights Centre Viasna. Ksenia was arrested on 12 November and accused of gross disruption of public order under Article 342 of the Belarusian Criminal Code.
- Thomas Waitz, Member of the European Parliament
Thomas Waitz, Member of the European Parliament, has taken over the godparenthood for Ksenia Syramalot and stated: “We stand strong behind the peaceful protesters in Belarus. We support their demand for fair and free new elections. We support their call for the release of all unlawfully detained people. Young people and students are of pivotal importance for the protest movement in Belarus. Their courage and bravery is impressive. Their endurance and fortitude with which they fight for democracy and freedom are a model for all of us. I am honored to take up the godparenthood for Ksenia Syramalot, speaker for the Belarus Students Association.”
You can can sign the petition here.
