400 teachers appeal to authority and members of law enforcement
12 August 2020, 22:27 | Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)
Belarusian teachers of public and private educational institutions urged authorities, police and riot police with an open letter calling them to “stop criminal violence towards Belarusian people who express their disagreement with election fraud and total repressions”.
Saving professional dignity of the educational community, some members of which were involved in the process of extensive falsification during the presidential elections in Belarus, we say: Belarusian teachers condemn numerous violations of the electoral legislation made by members of the electoral commissions and which were documented by observers. We demand withdrawal of the falsificated voting results announced by the Central Election Committee and taking measures to ensure the right of voters for full and truthful information about the real choice of Belarusian people.
The teachers urge the authority to stop violation regarding “our citizens who go out in the streets exercising their constitutional right for peaceful protests” and demand the end of “arrests and battery, use of pain-inducing weapons against peaceful people and immediate release of thousands of detainees”.
We appeal to the army, police, riot police: stop! Now you break not only the law but the fundamental human rights, you commit crimes not only against certain people but against humanity, conscience and morality. We have taught all of you: and those who shoot people, and those who are under fire. We loved you equally, both of you. It hurts us to see that we taught someone to be brave, honest and desperate in the fight for their rights, and sent others into the world without a proper vaccination against criminal commands. We appeal to everybody who commits violence against their nation: turn around and give back to people their right to vote. Don’t side with evil. Don’t sacrifice your conscience, your honour, your dignity for criminal commands. Be people and be with people.
The appeal was signed by:
Anna Severinets, Russian language and literature teacher
Nina Margaeva, art teacher
Irina Chernyavskaya, Belarusian language and literature teacher
Anna Granovskaya, primary school teacher
Inna Erikova, Russian language and literature teacher
Irina Azarinskaya, history and social studies teacher
Yuliya Mikhalevich, choral dissertation teacher, biology teacher
Svetlana Ivanyushina, primary school teacher
Sergey Timashuk, physics teacher
Via Gravans, Belarusian language and literature teacher
Pyotr Glabotskiy, history teacher
Ales Minov, Belarusian language and literature teacher
Evgeniya Subat, English teacher
Nataliya Iskartseva, the headmaster
Mariya Badzey, Belarusian language and literature teacher
and 375 more signatures. The signatures keep coming in.
