Support the human rights defenders of Viasna when they receive their sentences Updated
On March 3 at 12.00 in the Leninsky District Court of Minsk, the verdict of Viasna human rights defenders will be announced: the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and the chairman of the organization Ales Bialiatski, his deputy and vice-president of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) Valiantsin Stefanovich, coordinator of the campaign Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections Uladzimir Labkovich, as well as Dzmitry Salauyou, who is tried in absentia. The prosecutor requested from 9 to 12 years in prison for allegedly financing protests after the presidential elections in 2020 and smuggling by an organized group in 2016-2021.
We call on you to support the human rights defenders and express your solidarity with them in all possible ways on this day.
What can you do on March 3?
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if you are in Belarus, come to the sentencing at the address: ul. Semashko 33., Minsk (take your passport with you and remember about personal safety);
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organize or join a public event in your city (the list of venues will be published later);
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share on social media about the verdict handed down to human rights defenders with the hashtag #FreeViasna;
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take a photo with portraits of Viasna human right defenders and post the photo on social media (layouts for printing T-shirts and posters);
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organize or take part in the signing of solidarity cards, or write words of support to human rights defenders yourself, including online via Solidarity Postcard Workshop;
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send a parcel or money transfer to the human rights defenders of Viasna to the address: SIZO-1, ul. Volodarskogo, 2, Minsk, 220030;
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sign a petition for the release of Viasna human right defenders and all political prisoners;
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come up with and implement your creative action demanding the release of political prisoners of human rights defenders.
Join solidarity action in your city
Solidarity actions will be held on March 2 and 3 in several European cities (time is local):
Warsaw, Poland: March 2, 6 pm, outside the Belarusian Embassy, Wiertnicza 58. Learn more on Facebook.
Vilnius, Lithuania: March 3, 11 am, near the Ales Bialiatski wall (Mindaugo g. 18).
Stockholm, Sweden: March 3, 12 noon, Embassy of Belarus in Sweden (Vikdalsgränd 10A). Learn more on Facebook.
Copenhagen, Denmark: March 3, 5 pm, Gammeltorv. Learn more on Facebook.
Tbilisi, Georgia: March 3, 7 pm, near the Parliament of Georgia, 8 Shota Rustaveli Ave.
Share solidarity actions on social media with the hashtag #FreeViasna
