English

Public committee established in Babruysk to protect opposition activists' children

Opposition politicians, human rights defenders and journalists in Babruysk have established a public committee to protect activists' children.

The decision to establish the committee was announced at a round-table conference held in the city in the Mahilyow region, which was attended by members of Belarusian Christian Democracy (BCD), the Belarusian Popular Front, the "Spravedlivy Mir" (Just World) Belarusian Party of the Left, the Hramada Belarusian Social Democratic Party, as well as civil society activists and journalists.

The 18-member committee was set up following an attack on the 16-year-old daughter of Babruysk-based opposition activist Vyachaslaw Sheleh, who was knocked unconscious and driven to a forest some 15 miles away from Babruysk. The girl had her clothing torn and her face daubed with black paint.

"We will take the obligation to inform Babruysk residents about the incident," said BCD member Taisiya Kabanchuk. She said that the activists would keep the public up to date with the progress of the inquiry into the incident.

On August 5, the committee will send an appeal to the city authorities and the Investigative Committee to express anger at the incident and protest regular threats targeting opposition activists and their families.

The appeal will call for a transparent investigation and a public hearing on its results.

According to Mr. Sheleh, a month before the incident two athletic young men with shaven heads assaulted his daughter as soon as she walked out of her mother’s apartment. They pressed her against a wall, uttering obscenities and threatening violence if she did not stay home and shut up.

Mr. Sheleh believes that those men were not common street thugs, and that what happened to his daughter was an attempt to use her to make him give up his opposition activities.

Mr. Sheleh, a small business owner, was a member of Andrey Sannikaw’s campaign team during the 2010 presidential race. //BelaPAN