#FreeViasna: Latest news about jailed Viasna human rights defenders
On September 17, #FreeViasna campaign of solidarity with the imprisoned Viasna members was launched. Here’s the latest news about them.
Viasna human rights defenders transported to prison
On May 2, it was reported that Ales Bialiatski was transported to Penal Colony No. 9 in Horki, Valiantsin Stefanovic to Penal Colony No. 15 in Mahilioŭ, and Uladzimir Labkovich to Penal Colony No. 17 in Škloŭ.
On April 21, the Minsk Municipal Court considered their appeals and the prosecutor's protest regarding the sentencing in the Viasna case, which assigned lengthy prison terms: seven years for Labkovich, nine years for Stefanovic, and 10 years for Bialiatski. the human rights defenders did not admit guilt on any of the charges brought against them. The court, presided over by Sviatlana Bandarenka, left the appeals of the Viasna members and their defenders unsatisfied, but satisfied the prosecutor's protest, which asked to change the wording of the verdict.
Active engagement in human rights work and active self-defense in court
One of the Viasna lawyers commented on the criminal case against our colleagues, saying that they remained proactive during the trial, just as they had been while carrying out human rights activities. For example, they demanded the removal of handcuffs, evaluated the trial as politically motivated, and repeatedly requested that the trial be conducted in Belarusian. He noted that, although appealing a verdict in a political case is currently not an effective means of legal protection, the Viasna members did so to reiterate their position – a position of protest against what is happening to them and around them.
Easter letter from Labkovich
Uladzimir Labkovich sent a letter from prison expressing gratitude for a “charming parcel” containing warm clothes and personal items, saying that each such contact warms his heart.
Viasna Human Rights Center marks its 27th anniversary with an action in Vilnius
April 26, 2023, marked the 37th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster and the 27th anniversary of the founding of the Viasna Human Rights Center. To commemorate this, Viasna members held an action in Vilnius, using slogans from posters of the “Chernobyl Path” annual demonstration throughout its history and wearing T-shirts with images of their imprisoned colleagues.
One of the posters read, “People are not reactors. If they explode, you can't stop them.”
“It is symbolic that this poster was originally used at a rally in Homieĺ in 1990. The Viasna activist who holds it wears a T-shirt with Leanid Sudalenka’s portrait, who is also from Homieĺ” the organizers of the event explained.
“Marfa Rabkova is a very strong person”
A former political prisoner spoke to Salidarnasć media outlet about her two years in detention, as well as how Marfa Rabkova and other women are coping.
She called Marfa ‘a very strong person’ and mentioned that Rabkova, despite being threatened by the GUBOPiK, refused to betray others or sign any documents. At one point, they offered her a phone call to her father or grandmother in exchange for a confession. Despite her father's cancer and her grandmother's poor health, Rabkova did not agree to their terms.
No news from Chapiuk and Sudalenka
There has been no news in the past two weeks about Viasna volunteer Andrei Chapiuk, who was sentenced along with Rabkova.
No news has been reported either about Leanid Sudalenka, the head of the Homieĺ branch of Viasna.
