There are already three persons on hunger strike in Belarus. All three cases are connected to the Parliamentary election. The first hunger strike was started by the chief editor of “Mestnaya Gazeta” newspaper Andrey Shantarovich. He believes the newspaper was suspended for political reasons so that it couldn’t elucidate the electoral process.
On 20 October the founder and chief editor of the “Mestanaya Gazeta” distributed in the towns of Vawkavysk and Smarhon
went on hunger-strike. The newspaper has been suspended by the Ministry of Information. Mr. Shantarovich states he will hunger till Vawkavysk Town Executive Committee registers the juridical address of the newspaper. Besides, he demands that competent organs consider the materials with facts of violations of the electoral legislation during the election and the referendum, which he managed to get hold of.
In Shantarovich’s statement concerning the hunger-strike it is said that the suspension of “Mestnaya Gazeta” is far from being the first case of pressurization of the newspaper. According to him, it is prohibited to trade organizations to make agreements with it for distribution. For the three years of its existence the newspaper had to change four printing houses that stopped cooperation with it as a result of direct telephone calls from Vawkavysk TEC. The newspaper still can’t receive the agreement of this body to place its editorial office in Vawkavysk.
On 27 October the proxy of the candidate to the Parliament, local entrepreneur Mikalay Awtukhovich Mikalay Aksamit joined the hunger strike of the chief editor of “Mestnaya Gazeta” Andrey Shantarovich. Mr. Aksamit protests against the election results. He wrote an application to district executive committee where he described examples of violations during the electoral campaign. His applications to Central Election Commission gave no result, that’s why he has gone on hunger strike. He demands to investigates all facts of violations and punish the guilty. Mr. Aksamit observed the Parliamentary election at election circuit #50 where the candidate Awtukhovich ran (according to the official information only 28% voted for him).
The same day one more person, Vawkavysk pensioner Valiantsina Saldatava, 67, went on hunger strike as well. She demands to review the parliamentary election results on Vawkavyski district. Valantsina Saldatava also demands to repair her apartment which had been practically destroyed during preparation to Dazhynki, the official harvesting festival.
The 67-year-old women, suffering from pancreatic diabetes, went on hunger-strike on Wednesday, October 27. She stays in her apartment, where she lives with her granddaughter, 13. Valantsina Saldatava drinks only water.
In his interview to the “Pahonia” newspaper on 3 November Mr. Shantarovich said:
— Since yesterday I have mainly to lie, because it is difficult for me even to sit, — said Shantarovich to journalist of the “Pahonia” newspaper.
Andrey Shantarovich has already lost 15 kilos, but the Ministry of Information doesn’t react to his demand to set aside its order and let the newspaper be printed.
