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Former presidential candidate Kastusyow appeals to Belarus’ top Orthodox cleric to call on authorities to release all political prisoners

Former presidential candidate Ryhor Kastusyow, deputy chairman of the Belarusian Popular Front, has appealed to Patriarchal Exarch Filaret, the top-ranking Russian Orthodox Church official in Belarus, to call on the Belarusian authorities to release all those arrested for political reasons and stop the suppression of dissent.

“As you know, this year the bright feast of the Nativity of Christ is marred by the government’s violence against citizens, which has been lasting for 20 days now, is of an unprecedented scale since the Soviet era and has exceeded all boundaries of common sense, justice and morality,” Mr. Kastusyow says in his open letter to the patriarchal exarch. “Broken glass doors cannot be sufficient grounds for the purposeful beating of hundreds of peaceful citizens, including women and old people, rubber-stamped sentences on identical charges, denials of medical assistances to victims and endless searches, detentions, arrests and threats.”

“It is impossible to justify the jailing of people who not only were uninvolved in violence during the events of December 19, 2010 but also tried to end it, which was witnessed by thousands of people who saw everything with their own eyes. It is inhuman that people who are being unjustly held in jail are denied the opportunity to meet with their relatives. It is just terrible that someone attempts to rip a small child out of the arms of its grandmother and grandfather after its parents are put in jail.”

“Such actions, especially if governmental agencies are the source of them, cause serious damage to Belarus, as they split society and destroy the foundations of peace and quiet in the country,” Mr. Kastusyow said. “I am convinced that you, as a cleric, share this concern, and that is why I ask you to raise your voice in defense of justice and morality and call on the authorities to release all those jailed for political reasons and stop all repression.” //BelaPAN