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Belarusian Christian Democracy set to hold series of meetings to highlight concerns over political prisoners

The organizing committee for Belarusian Christian Democracy (BCD) is set to hold a series of conferences across the country to highlight concerns over political prisoners.

While talking to reporters in Minsk on Wednesday, BCD Co-chairman Vital Rymashewski said that the meetings would be held in cities where political prisoners are serving their sentences.

“The primary goal of these conferences is to bring it home to those who are directly responsible for pressure on political prisoners that they will be held personally liable for what is happening today and will not have an opportunity to cite current regulations or orders by their superiors as an excuse,” said Mr. Rymashewski. “The governors of the correctional institutions and those responsible for violence against political prisoners and their abuse must know that they will be held liable.”

Another priority of the campaign is to step up solidarity with the political prisoners among local sympathizers, he said.

He said that the opposition planned to stage a large-scale street protest this fall and carry out other campaigns. But the imprisonment of pro-democratic supporters on politically motivated grounds should still be high on the agenda, he said.

BCD activist Dzyanis Sadowski said that the first conference would take place in Mahilyow on August 17. BCD has invited human rights activists, journalists and political activists to the meeting in the region where most political prisoners are serving their terms, he said, adding that such conferences would also be held in Vitsyebsk and Hrodna. //BelaPAN