Protesterer mot overgrep i Minsk
En av opposisjonens presidentkandidater, den kjente hviterussiske poeten Vladimir Neklyaev – tidligere leder for Hviterussisk PEN og den hviterussiske forfatterforeningen, er et av offrene for myndighetenes overgrep. I en egen appell til president Lukashenko, sier Polsk PEN blant annet:
We are appealing to the Belarus authorities for the immediate release of the poet and for securing that he receives the necessary medical care. We are appealing for a stop to the brutal repressions against opposition activists and supporters as well as journalists and for guaranteeing adherence to civil liberties, in accordance with the ideals expressed in the International PEN Card which says: «P.E.N. stands for principle of unhampered transmission of thought within each nation and among all nations, and members pledge themselves to oppose any form of suppresion of freedom of expression in their country or their community. P.E.N. declares for a free press and opposes arbitrary censorship in time of peace. It believes that the necessary advance of the world toward a more highly organized political and economic order renders free criticism of goverments, administrations and institutions imperative».
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