#FreedomLetters: Lithuanian MFA and Viasna arrange event of solidarity with Belarusian political prisoners Photo
On November 20, within the framework of the Future of Democracy Forum in Vilnius, the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry and Viasna arranged an event of signing postcards for Belarusian political prisoners #FreedomLetters.
The action was launched by Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis who wrote a postcard to the 19-year-old political prisoner Vitaliya Bandarenka, who was sentenced to four years in prison for participating in last year’s post-election protests.
- Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis sending a postcard to political prisoner Vitaliya Bandarenka
Landsbergis recorded a video appeal urging everyone to join the action:
- write and send a postcard or a letter to a political prisoner in Belarus;
- take a photo and post it on social media;
- use the hashtag #FreedomLetters.
During the forum, dozens of diplomats and human rights defenders wrote postcards with words of support to Belarusian political prisoners, including imprisoned members of Viasna: Ales Bialiatski, Uladzimir Labkovich, Valiantsin Stefanovich, Marfa Rabkova, Leanid Sudalenka, Tatsiana Lasitsa and Andrei Chapiuk.
- Lithuanian MP Laima Andrikienė writing a postcard to human rights defender Leanid Sudalenka
- Žygimantas Pavilionis, chairman of Foreign Affairs Committee at the Seimas
- Vytis Jurkonis, Project Director at Freedom House and head of Vilnius office
- Russian economist Sergei Guriev
- Nathan Law Kwun-chung, an activist and politician from Hong Kong
- Bo Tedards, Taiwan Foundation for Democracy
List of political prisoners
As of November 21, 876 persons in Belarus are considered as political prisoners
