Sevyarynets urges Kalyakin, Karatkevich and Lyabedzka to withdraw
It should be done to express solidarity with political prisoners, he believes.
The round table discussion Stop Repressions of Belarusian Youth was held in the BPF Party office on August 19. The criminal case started against graffitists, accusation of the Young Front of supporting channels young Belarusians recruitment in Ukraine and the persecution of football fans for civil actions were the reason for the meeting.
Activists of the Young Front, Alternative, United Civil Party, Belarusian Christian Democracy and Young Belarus took part in the round table discussion, Radio Liberty reports.
New political prisoners are appearing during the pre-election campaign and it is being done to intimidate the youth, BCD democracy co-leader Pavel Sevyarynets noted.
Sevyarynets suggested asking democratic presidential contenders – Tatstsyana Karatkevich, Syarhei Kaalyakin and Anatol Lyabedzka – to withdraw from the election. He suggests that they withdraw from the election if political prisoners are not released by the end of the last days of signature collection – August 21.
Only Tatstsyana Karatkevich’s initiative group has announced that they have have collected 100 thousand signatures so far. According to preliminary reports, Lyabedzka and Kalyankin’s groups will not be able to collect enough signatures in time.
