Committee 'Salidarnasc' adopted the resolution f or the defence of Syarhei Parsukevich

The Committee for Defence of Repressed ‘Salidarnasc’ would like to draw your attention to the situation with political prisoners in Belarus, in particular to the situation with Syarhei Parsyukevich, the leader of Vitsebsk’s individual entrepreneurs.
After peaceful protests of entrepreneurs on 10 of January 2008 S. Parsyukevich was detained and sentenced to 15 days of arrest. While serving the sentence in the Akrestsina jail (Minsk) he was brutally beaten up by a warder. Aware of the Syarhei’s bronchial asthma, warrant officer Aliaksandr Dulub was also grasping his handcrafted victim by the throat not allowing him to breath. It should be also noted that despite Syarhei’ requests warders of prison did not give him to get necessary medical treatment and pills during the rest of the days of his jailing.
Once S. Parsyukevich came out from prison he filed an appeal to the district prosecutor calling on the fact of torture and misuse of power of militiaman in the Akrestina jail. But instead of investigating his complaint Belarusian authorities opened a case against Syarhey himself, blaming him for attack and inflicting a militiaman.
On 4 of March Syarhei Parsyukevich was arrested after his showing up in the district prosecutor office where he was called to. Nowadays being suspected of violent acts against militiaman (article 364 of the Criminal Code) Syarhei is kept in the Minsk pre-trial prison.
In 2004 Syarhei Parsyukevich retired from the post of the head of crime investigation department in rank of major. After retirement he started his business as an individual entrepreneur in Vitebsk. In 2005 he became Chairman of Council of individual entrepreneurs in the Smalensky market of Vitsebsk. Syarhei’s activity in the Vitebsk region and participation in peaceful street protests in Minsk have become the occasions of administrative persecution targeting not only him but his business. In the beginning of 2008 the local administration in Vitebsk ruined his business by depriving him from license. Now his wife and 14 year old son have left without means of subsistence.

We consider that Syarhei’s detention is not valid and has no legal evidence at all. The authorities want to intimidate and to isolate Syarhei Parsukevich because of his political activities.

We also would like to ask you to continue the solidarity campaign with other Belarusian political prisoners Aliaksand Kazulin and Andrei Kim. We appeal to you to undertake appropriate steps in order to put pressure on Belarusian authorities by demanding immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners and putting an end to political repressions in Belarus.