14 September 2020 | EJ.BY
Russian scientists are outraged by Putin’s decision to recognise Lukashenko as the winner of the presidential elections. They demand to withdraw this decision and to declare support for the Belarusian people.
The announcement of Russian scientists was published on 12 September. As of this date, more than 60 Russian scientists have signed the appeal, including 6 academicians and 5 correspondent members the Russian Academy of Sciences. But on the morning of 14 September, the number of signatories increased to more than 170 persons and continues to grow rapidly. We publish the full version of the Russian scientists’ appeal:
We, Russian scientists, are following the events in Belarus with anxiety and hope.
Our friends and colleagues from our neighbouring country have faced unprecedented fraud during the presidential elections. A significant part of Belarusian society does not recognise Alexander Lukashenko as the legitimate president. The citizens of Belarus are insulted by the deception and the disregard of their political will; they take to the streets to defend their right to vote.
Our business – science – is incompatible with deliberate lies. We stand in solidarity with the mass rejection of official lies demonstrated by Belarusian society. We are delighted with the exceptional endurance and the self-organisation of the peaceful protesters. They continue to show the world new examples of fortitude and self-sacrifice to uphold the principles of rationality, civic responsibility, and human dignity.
For us scientists, it is objective facts available for universal verification that serve as the foundation of knowledge and practice. The solution to any problem begins with obtaining credible facts that allow unbiased clarification of a situation, separate the truth from the lie. That is exactly why, in our opinion, holding fair and open elections that would objectively show the will of the citizens of Belarus is the only way to lead the country out of its current crisis. We stand in solidarity with Belarusian citizens that advocate the holding of such elections.
Unfortunately, in this complicated situation, the authorities of the Republic of Belarus refuse any dialogue with society, relying on threats and violence. Every day, with grief, we find out about the persecution of the citizens of our neighbouring country, and about the arbitrary violence of its security forces. We are outraged by the facts of atrocious degradation and torture sustained by hundreds of Belarusians. The responsibility for the crimes committed by officers of “law enforcement” lies upon the shoulders of the current Belarusian government. State terrorism does not have and cannot have a future: the escalation of lies and violence is a road to nowhere.
Knowing about these events, we are outraged by the decision of the Russian government to recognise Alexander Lukashenko as the elected President of Belarus. We demand the withdrawal of this decision and to refrain from any intervention by force in the affairs of our neighbouring country. Only the will of Belarusian citizens can determine the legitimate President of Belarus. However, the holding of free elections is incompatible with the repressions against political opponents deployed by the current Belarusian regime.
We are very concerned about the plans of the de facto absorption of Belarus by Russia, which are actively discussed in the media. The implementation of such intentions would cause new troubles for both of our countries. In any circumstance, the development of normal relations with Belarus is possible only with unconditional respect for its state sovereignty. We want to visit Belarus as friends, not as invaders.
We wish Belarusian citizens resilience, courage, and wisdom which are so needed for the peaceful solution of the current problems. We have no doubt that you can turn Belarus into a prosperous European country living in friendship with all its neighbours. Long live Belarus!
