Statement of the “RADA” in connection with the criminal persecution of students and political repression of citizens of the Republic of Belarus

On November 12, representatives of the State Security Committee of the Republic of Belarus launched an investigation against members of the student organization “Belarusian Students’ Association”, as well as other active students. The organization’s office, the apartments and dormitories of the young people were searched. Their computers, mobile phones and documents were confiscated. A total of 12 people were detained and charged in this case: 10 students, 1 teacher and 1 graduate — a member of the main composition of the Coordinating Council.

The accused spent more than six months in prison, and on May 14 the trial of the “student case” in which the accused are: Yana Arabeyka, Alana Gebremarijam, Ksenia Syramalot, Kasya Budko, Gleb Fitzner, Anastasia Bulybenko, Ilya Trakhtenberg, Egor Kanetsky, Victoria Grankovskaya, Maria Kalenik, Tatiana Ekelchik, Olga Filatchenkova. They are all recognized as political prisoners.

They are accused of “organizing group actions that grossly violate public order and are associated with blatant disobedience to the lawful demands of the authorities, which led to disruption of institutions and transport, from August to November 2020 in Minsk”.

We believe that these detentions, as well as the criminal and administrative persecution of people since May 2020, are politically motivated and violate the freedoms and rights guaranteed by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus. We see these actions as a continuation of the government’s oppression against youth and the youth sector and remind that human rights are not internal issues of any country.