International Day of Solidarity with Civil Society of Belarus to be marked in many countries on 4 August
The International Day of Solidarity with the Civil
Society of Belarus will be marked for the first time on 4 August 2012. It was
announced by a wide coalition of NGOs from different country which are members
of the Committee on International Control over the Human Rights Situation in Belarus. A year ago, on 4 August 2011, the leading Belarusian
human rights defender Ales Bialiatski, the head of the Human Rights Center
“Viasna”, was arrested and subsequently sentenced to 4.5 years of imprisonment.
On 4 August, the Solidarity Day and on its eve various actions in support of
Belarusian civil society activists and organizations will be held in different
cities and countries of Belarus including pickets, performances, discussions,
cinema shows, exhibitions, etc. The main slogan of the day is “Solidarity is
stronger than repressions!”
Russia,
Moskow. A film dedicated to the situation of human rights in Belarus will be
shown in Sakharov center.
The solidarity marathon “Soliday” is the main event on 4 August in Moskow. The
marathon is aimed at a productive and manifold discussion about the situation
in Belarus and Russia. Several
events will be held within its framework. In particular, experts in the fields
of political science, human rights and international relations will discuss the
political situations in Belarus and Russia, their parallels and differences at
the round table “Parallels: what the experience of Belarus can teach Russia”.
An exhibition of photos and demonstration of documentaries, accompanied with a
discussion, will let people form their own opinion about the conditions in
which Belarusians live under dictatorship. The program also includes a video
conference with other citizens in which events of solidarity with Belarus are
held.
4 August, museum and public center named after Andrei Sakharov, Zemlyanoy Val
Street 57/6, tube stations “Kurskaya” “Chkalovskaya”, beginning at 1 p.m.
Murmansk,
2 August – a free photo session in support of the International Solidarity
day will be held at the photo studio “Moloko”.
On 4 August the film by Katsiaryna Kibalchych “Belarusian Dream” will be
shown. The situation of human rights in Belarus
and Russia
will be discussed after this.
Tomsk.
On 4 August the student club Frontline in Tomsk
organizes the view of the film “Belarusian Dream”, dated to the anniversary of
the arrest of the Belarusian human rights defender Ales Bialiatski.
Germany, Berlin. An action of
solidarity with the civil society of Belarus will start at 2 p.m. near
the Brandenburg Gate.
Sweden, Stockholm. On 4
August Östgruppen holds an action to collect letters of support and greeting
for Ales Bialiatski and other political prisoners in Belarus. the action will be held at
5 p.m. at Espresso
House Birger Jarlsgatan.
Events on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Civil
Society of Belarus will be also held in many cities of Ukraine, Poland,
Lithuania and Sweden.
Here are the contacts of the organizers: by-soliday@hrgroups.org, +7 915
202-08-35, +7 916 673-51-53
The website of the Solidarity Day: http://by.soli-day.org/
Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/368867776513480/
Vkontakte group: http://vk.com/bysoliday
