Newsletter: Jan 11-17

Newsletter
BELARUS

Jan 13: Outrage about hosting 2021 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in Belarus. René Fasel, the president of the International Ice Hockey Federation, is facing mounting criticism from Belarusian opposition and the international community for his controversial visit to Belarus and meeting with the unrecognized President of Belarus, Aliaksandr Lukashenka. Later, Fasel commented that “meeting went a bit wrong”.

Jan 14: Belarusian blogger takes hunger strike into second month despite ‘worsening’ health. Belarusian political prisoner Ihar Losik is holding a hunger strike against his unlawful imprisonment by the illegitimate Belarusian regime. The popular blogger Ihar Losik was arrested in the run-up to the presidential election with the accusation of preparation to disrupt public order. Belarusian regime has arrested Ihar as a part of the violent crackdown on the mass popular protests against his 26 years long rule and fraudulent results of the presidential elections.

Jan 14: Jailed Lukashenko opponent Kolesnikova’s fight continues. Maria Kolesnikova, a leader of the opposition in Belarus, was detained by masked men in September in Minsk, driven to the border with Ukraine and ordered to leave the country. But she refused and tore up her passport. She has been in custody ever since, charged with an attempt to seize power. Her detention was extended by two more months in January. The family has been fighting nonstop for her release since she was arrested with support coming from all over the world.

Jan 14: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya proclaims the Day of Solidarity with Belarus on February 7, 2021. According to the released statement, ‘friends of Belarus’ can show solidarity by participating in events and rallies, releasing publications on the subject, displaying national Belarusian white-red-white colours, writing letters to Belarusian political prisoners, donating to solidarity that help the repressed compatriots, contributing to issue-related online flashmobs and making posts bearing the hashtag #StandWithBelarus on social media.

Jan 15: High-profile media arrests in Belarus continue as a tactic to shut down the press. Belarusian journalist and media manager Andrei Alexandrov disappeared on January 12. His whereabouts only became clear days later. As it transpired, Alexandrov was in the Oktyabrskiy district police department in Minsk. He and his partner had been detained as suspects in a criminal case initiated by authorities for “organising and preparing activities that breach public order or active participation in them”, his lawyer told BelaPAN. At least nine journalists have had criminal justice proceedings opened against them since November, according to data Reporters Without Borders (RSF) collected in coordination with the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ).

Jan 15: Leaked audio allegedly exposing top Interior Minister official ordering use of illegal force against peaceful protesters. In the tape, the man suggests security forces could “either maim, or mutilate, or kill” to make protesters understand their actions. He discusses building camps surrounded by barbed wire for the protesters and to “keep them there until everything calms down”. The recording contains numerous statements which, if true, directly incriminate the police force in human rights violations, including the death of peaceful protester Alyaksandr Taraykouski on 10 August 2020 who died from a lethal wound when security forces fired a rubber bullet directly at his chest.

Jan 15: Theatre directors receive death threat from Belarus state-run newspaper. The threat was made against Natalia Kaliada and her husband Nicolai Khalezin, who founded Belarus Free Theatre in 2005 and have been living as political refugees in the UK since 2011. It was published in an article about Belarus Free Theatre on December 27 in state-run newspaper Sovietska Belarus, which ended by saying that Kaliada and Khalezin will be “hunted down and hanged side-by-side”. UK-based theatre directors have called on the UK government to be more proactive in imposing sanctions against dictator Alexander Lukashenko’s regime.

Jan 16: Sponsors withdraw from 2021 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship amid human rights crisis in Belarus. Czech carmaker Skoda has warned that it will withdraw its sponsorship of the ice hockey world championship if Belarus remains as co-host amid calls to move the event following mass protests against authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko. Shortly after Skoda released its statement, German motor oil manufacturer Liqui Moly and face care company Nivea Men said they would cancel their sponsorship deal as well.

Jan 17: Lithuanian Prime Minister brings up again concerns over safety of Belarusian Astravyets Nuclear Power Plant. Prime Minister of Lithuania Ingrida Šimonytė sent a letter to President of the European Commission (EC) Ursula von der Leyen and Vice-President of the European Commission Valdis Dombrovskis thanking for the support to energy projects of strategic importance to Lithuania and the region and reminding at the same time about the threat posed to the region and the European Union (EU) by the unsafe nuclear power plant in Belarus. The Prime Minister notes in her letter Belarus’s failure to comply with the EU nuclear safety recommendations, which renders it unsafe and unfit for operation.

INTERNATIONAL

Jan 13: Lithuania Freedom Prize. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya received Lithuania Freedom Prize on behalf of Belarusian democratic opposition on the day that 30 years ago Lithuania defended its independence against the USSR military. In her acceptance speech she said that “Lithuania became a free country and is now free to help others. Last August, Belarusians began their struggle for freedom. And we will not stop until it is achieved".

Jan 14: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya had a meeting with Lithuanian economy and innovation minister Ausrine Armonaite. They discussed individual and targeted economic sanctions against the Lukashenka regime. Tsikhanouskaya has thanked Lithuanian government for their readiness to help repressed Belarusian people and businesses relocate.