Only 45% of Belarus Population Know That Kazulin is in Prison

(New Arests & Hunger Strikes in Belarus 2006)

A rally in support of the young leader Zmitser Dashkevich was held on November 1, 2006 on Kastrychnitskaya Square in Minsk. People gathered on the square with portraits of the Young Front leader, who was sentenced to a year and a half of restriction of freedom for "acting on behalf of an unregistered organization". In a few minutes all participants were detained by riot policemen and taken to the police department of Tsentralny district of Minsk. After identification 10 out of 12 young activists were released. Young activists Dzmitry Fedaruk and Hleb Sanderos are to stand trial.

A hunger strike of solidarity with the former candidate for presidency Alyaksandr Kazulin goes on in Brest for the 5th day. Members of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada) and activists of other political parties and public organizations are taking part in the protest. As said by the head of the organization Ihar Maslouski, almost 30 names of the party members had been written down there.

"We saw the results of research by Professor Manaev that only about 45% of population of Belarus know that Kazulin is behind bars now. That is why this hunger strike is carried out in a succession to attract more attention. We have an intention to continue the protest until Mr. Kazulin is on hunger strike in prison," Maslouski said to Radio Svaboda.

Also, the human rights group "Amnesty International" has started a campaign in support of Belarusian political prisoner Zmitser Dashkevich. It has been stated today by a representative of London office of the "Amnesty International" Heather McGill in a conversation with the Belarusian human rights center "Viasna".

Members of the "Amnesty International" all over the world will send letters of support to the political prisoner. Other solidarity actions are planned as well. Besides, Heather McGill informed that the Amnesty International had recognized Zmitser Dashkevich a prisoner of conscience.

In today`s Belarus there are many oppositionists who had become prisoners of conscience, including the former candidate including the former candidate for presidency Aleksandr Kazulin, activists of the election observation initiative "Partnerstva" Mikola Astrejka and Tsimafei Dranchuk, the leader of the Social Democrats Mikola Statkevich, a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the 13th convocation Andrei Klimov, young leaders Pavel Severinets and Artur Finkevich, and many others.