#WithoutJustCause: The Congress on Belarus Political Prisoners will be held on May 23–25 in Prague

The Congress on Belarus Political Prisoners #WithoutJustCause will begin its work in Prague on May 23.

#WithoutJustCause is the first major expert political event after the events of 2020 dedicated to the human rights crisis in Belarus, as well as assistance to those who have been persecuted.

Against the background of the movement towards totalitarianism in Belarus, the number of cases of human rights violations is growing, and the voice of victims of repression is not always heard from behind bars and the iron curtain surrounding the prison country.

Krystsina Shyianok, Director of the Office of the Democratic Forces of Belarus in the Czech Republic:

"It is our duty to do everything for the release of political prisoners and proper support for the repressed. I believe that thanks to solidarity, coordination, and expertise, we can return the principles of democracy and human rights to Belarus.”

The congress will discuss topics such as trends of repression in Belarus and new challenges; vulnerable groups of political prisoners in Belarusian prisons; problems faced by relatives of political prisoners; what politicians can do for political prisoners; evacuation of (former) political prisoners from Belarus, its causes and statistics; visa and other institutional support for (former) political prisoners; rehabilitation and re-socialization opportunities for (former) political prisoners; coverage of the situation of political prisoners by independent media.

The Congress will be held in the Karolinum, a medieval complex of buildings of Charles University in Prague. The event will be attended by members of leading Belarusian human rights organizations and humanitarian initiatives, Belarusian legal experts, Belarusian and foreign politicians and diplomats, as well as former political prisoners and their family members, who can testify about the real situation of those who are imprisoned.

The Prague Congress will become a platform for joint analysis, dialogue, and coordination of actions that would make it possible to stop the humanitarian crisis in Belarus. More than 70 people have confirmed their participation so far.

The Congress is being held by the office of the Democratic Forces of Belarus in the Czech Republic with the support of the US Embassy in the Czech Republic and under the patronage of the Rector of Charles University.

Belarusian human rights organizations, humanitarian aid initiatives, as well as political representatives of Democratic Belarus worked on the program of the event.

The Congress on Belarus Political Prisoners will end its work on May 25.

The organizers of the congress invite media representatives and interested journalists to get a press pass to the event: czechia.office@tsikhanouskaya.org