Prison News: Belarus anarchists update

January 3, 2011 Freedom Press

The Christmas period is a particularly difficult time in prison especially
those who are locked up for their political activities and beliefs. At the
last meeting of the International of Anarchist Federations IAF-IFA (which
includes Anarchist Federation UK) in Sofia at the end of October a
statement was issued in Solidarity with Belarus activists several of whom
continue to  be locked up by the state.

The IAF-IFA:
· Condemns all forms of repression against activists and the grassroots
movement regardless of whether they are anarchists or not.
· Expresses its solidarity with persecuted anarchist comrades and all
victims of the regime.
· Calls for the mobilisation and commitment of all to raise awareness
about the complete negation of freedom in Belarus, for the liberation of
all political prisoners and for an end to the dictatorship in Minsk.

Prison letters – Appeal for you to support the arrested with New Year
postcards
After the attack on the Russian embassy on 30th August 2010 Belarusian
anarchists, social activists and ecologists were repressed. During this
autumn there was a chain of searches and interrogations in Minsk, Gomel,
Grodno, Soligorsk, Brest, Bobrujsk and Novopolotsk. All in all about 50
people were interrogated. At the moment Nikolaj Dedok, Aleksandr
Frantskevich, Maxim Vetkin and Igor Olinevich are under arrest. They can
face up to six years of imprisonment. We call all people concerned to
support the arrestees and send them postcards. You can write letters and
cards to:

Dedok Nikolaj Aleksandovich
Prison-8
22a Sovetskaja str.
222160 Zhodino
Minsk region
BELARUS

Frantskevich Aleksandr
СИЗО-1
2-46 Volodarskogo str.
220050 Minsk
BELARUS

Vetkin Maxim Ivanivich
СИЗО-1
2 Volodarskogo str.
220050 Minsk
BELARUS

Olinevich Igor Vladimirovich
p/o box 8
Central Post Office
220050 Minsk
BELARUS

Additional information: http://belarus.indymedia.org/blog/minsksolidarity

Background information
Since the beginning of September 2010 social activists in Belarus have
been faced with unprecedented pressure. After the arson attempt on the
Russian Embassy on the night of August 31, 2010 and with the start of the
presidential campaign, around hundred of social activists have experienced
‘talks’, interrogations by the KGB, house-raids and arrest. Some of them
are still detained. Taking advantage of the possibility to arrest for
three days without filling accusation, the authorities re-arrest activists
every three days as suspects on other cases. All together 13 people have
already spent 153 days under unlawful arrest. During the interrogations
the activists are beaten, threatened to be expelled from the places of
study, being subjected to psychological pressure and are not allowed
meeting with relatives.

All those repressed are activists and participants of the social,
ecological, anti-authoritarian, antifascist and humanitarian initiatives.
Please help us to spread this call-out as widely as possible. You can send
information about solidarity actions to minsksolidarity@riseup.net