Before the opening of the hearing
s, the chairperson of Human Rights Centre “Viasna” Ales Bialiatski, one of the leaders of Belarusian Christian Democracy Dzianis Sadouski, and the leader of “For Freedom!” movement Aliaksandr Milinkevich together with Lithuanian Parliament deputy Mantus Adamenas held a press-conference concerning the situation in Belarus.
Ales Bialiatski brought to notice the wave of repressions that had started after the brutal dispersion of mass protests on the evening of 19 December 2010: around 700 people were arrested and beaten up, more than 20 people were convicted for “mass riots”, five out of ten ex-candidates accused. The chairperson of the Human Rights Centre “Viasna” said, that in spite of what is happening in Belarus now, he looks to the future with optimism and hopes for international support.
Solidarity
The hearings were designed to provide a broad platform for discussion on the current situation with human rights and liberties in Belarus, evaluate the statergies used by the democratic world to help the country out of the crisis after the presidential elections on 19 December 2010 and to show practical solidarity with the political prisoners and victims of political repressions.
The Belarusian side was represented by the first leader of independent Belarus Stanislau Shushkevich, the chairperson of Human Rights Centre “Viasna” Ales Bialiatski, the leader of “For Freedom!” movement Aliaksandr Milinkevich, the head of the Belarusian Association of Journalists Zhanna Litvina. The wife of political prisoner Volha Bandarenka also had a speech during the hearing, calling upon the European Union in general and Lithuanian in particular to support Belarus.
The Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Audronius Ažubalis, left, had this to say: “Lithuania, as an open and democratic country, is ready to further support Belarusian initiatives directed to creation of civic society”.
“Ploshcha” presented by photographers
The opening of the photo-exhibition took place during the hearing, organised by the Belarusian Human Rights House and dedicated to 15th anniversary of the Human Rights Centre “Viasna”.
Several dozens of photos, made by professional photographers during the protest action on 19 December 2010, were exposed in the Parliament building and showed the participants of the hearings what really happened at “Ploshcha – 2010” (Square-2010). The photos displayed brutal arrests and the very action of protest that started the “witch hunt” in Belarus.
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