A new video about the beatings and humiliation of the detainees was leaked online; EU sanctions disappointed everyone; spouses of protesting workers spoke about the support they are receiving
18 December 2020 | BYHelp-Mediagroup
Source: Radio Svaboda
Reaction to the EU sanctions – some are disappointed, some promise retaliatory measures, while others intend to appeal
On 17 December the European Union adopted the third package of sanctions against Belarusian authorities and businesses. And various concerned groups had different reactions.
For instance, Niсolai Khalezin, the art director of the Belarus Free Theater, executive director of Creative Politics Hub and an active participant in the compilation of the sanctions list was very disappointed with the final version of the third sanctions package. He says that it had been shortened significantly.
“There were more than a hundred judges’ names with detailed descriptions of their wrongdoings, as well as more than a hundred names of the security forces officers. And if we talk about the so-called “wallets” [of the regime], there were cases against several dozen individuals who work with Lukashenko’s family. These were detailed cases containing information about the involved companies registered in different countries. All pieces of information were taken from the official registries, right down to the companies’ beneficiaries. (…) But in the end we got the sanctions list that had been compiled following an absolutely unclear scheme. (…) Most likely, it was the work of lobbyists for Putin and Lukashenko. And this is not classic political lobbying but what we rather call “ratting out” in prison jargon. It was as if a rat had purposely removed all the parties who could harm Putin and Lukashenko. All of them were removed!” says Khalezin.
At the same time, Synesis LLC, an IT company that was included in the sanctions list, intends to appeal the company’s allegedly wrongful inclusion in the EU list of sanctioned organizations. “Synesis firmly rejects the EU Council’s mistaken assumption that our technology may be or has ever been used by the Belarusian government to identify protesters,” the appeal says.
The press secretary of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry, Anatoly Glaz, called the adopted sanctions “an absolutely stupid, short-sighted and flawed decision in all respects”. According to Glaz, the Belarusian side has come up with countermeasures.
Source: Nasha Niva
“You have two kidneys but one life”, a video surfaced showing police officers abusing detainees in August
The BYPOL initiative has released a new video. This time it shows the humiliation and abuse suffered by the detainees in August. In the video, law enforcement officers can be seen beating, shouting at and insulting dozens of detainees who lie face down on the floor. Some of the footage was shot in the gym presumably on the police station premises.
It is important to remember that not a single criminal case has been opened against any law enforcement officers for the violence that occurred after the 9 August election. The individuals who have suffered beatings by the security forces receive rejections when they try to initiate the opening of the criminal cases. On the other hand, hundreds of cases are being opened against the protesters. Some are sentenced to two years in a maximum security jail for the inscription “Let’s not forget” written on the pavement.
“Well done!” That is what wives of the protesting workers think about what their husbands are doing
Source: TUT.BY
It is not very often we remember that those who become the protests’ heroes always have relatives. The wives whose husbands were not afraid of losing their jobs and joined the workers’ strike committee, told TUT.BY what they think about their spouses’ decision.
Volha, the wife of Aliaksei Karliuk, an electrical mechanic at Belaruskali, spoke out. “On 17 August my husband took part in a strike. Their department is very active in general. A lot of guys are about the same age, around 35 years old. So they all came out to strike. After that the guys got it in the neck. Many did not get bonuses or their work contracts were renewed on different terms. One of the workers went on to become a member of the workers’ strike committee along with my husband. And on 2 November my husband returned home and told me that he was going on strike. Wow, at first it was very scary! ‘Okay, thank you for your active civic stance, well done,’ I said after a while. I receive monthly child support from the state, and we also have had small savings. We also receive a lot of help with groceries. We are contacted through a special bot INeedHelpBy in the Telegram app, and they provide help. And this is great!”
Viktoryia Zhurnevich’s spouse, Siarhei, has worked as a longwall foreman at Belaruskali for over 18 years. On 24 November he went on strike. “Let’s hope everything will be back to normal soon and he will be able to get back to work. But for now we will do everything we can. We want our children to live in Belarus, a developed democratic country where the law prevails. A country with high living standards where you are respected and appreciated regardless of your political views and principles. I also would like to express my deep gratitude to all Belarusians. I did not think or expect that there would be such solidarity and support. There are organizations like BySOL and INeedHelpBy. And if necessary they help those who apply with groceries and financially. I know people who used their help. We also used their services. But we try to get by on our own,” says Viktoryia.
Source: TUT.BY
Tatsiana, the wife of Aliaksandr Pantsialeyeu, a workshop foreman at Belaruskali, also spoke out. “The last straw was when his boss asked him to tell on other workers if they displayed unauthorized symbols. Now we have cut our expenses a little bit. We buy only what is needed here and now. All purchases that could wait have been postponed for later. And the members of the diasporas abroad help us. One girl, for instance, helps us pay for the necessary groceries. We also applied for financial assistance from the Solidarity Fund,” says Tatsiana.
Source: TUT.BY
A representative of the Norwegian company Yara speaks out. “I sympathize with my friends who are going through such difficult times. They are my heroes!”
The Norwegian company Yara is one of the few foreign companies that consistently respond to human rights violations in Belarus. Since the presidential election, the company’s top managers have already come to Belarus twice to hold negotiations with the top officials of Belaruskali, the Belarusian Potash Company, and the activists of the trade union organizations. In addition Yara made official statements expressing their concern about the numerous reports of lay-offs of miners who had peacefully defended their democratic rights. The company also proclaimed the ongoing situation in Belarus to be unacceptable. In an interview with TUT.BY, Geir Sundbo, Yara International workers’ representative, explained why the Belarusian story does not leave the Norwegian company indifferent. Here are some quotes.
“We have the Code of Conduct for all our business partners. These documents are based on various UN conventions, such as human rights, labor relations, and so on. Therefore, we place the same expectations on Belaruskali as we do on all our other business partners around the world.”
“I’ve seen a lot in my 33 years at Yara. But I have never seen anything close to what is going on in Belarus right now.”
“I think the whole world noticed that the situation in Belarus has deteriorated right after the August 2020 election. So there seems to be a simple answer – the new elections. But it’s not up to me to decide. I believe that my Belarusian friends are quite capable of figuring out the best solutions for their own future. Until then I can assure you that I receive a lot of feedback from my colleagues from around the world. They follow the development of the situation in Belarus and their support of the Belarusian people is unanimous.”
Source: TUT.BY
For more information on the events of 18 December 2020, please visit Infocenter Free Belarus 2020:
