Three new godparents for political prisoners in Belarus from Finland, Latvia and Germany
Within the framework of #WeStandBYyou campaign, Oras Tynkkynen (Vihreä liitto, Finland), Andris Šuvajevs (PROGRESĪVIE, Latvia), and Terry Reintke (Die Grünen/EFA, European Parliament) have each taken on a symbolic godparenthood for Aliaksei Arlou, Halina Dzerbysh, and Volha Petukh.
- Oras Tynkkynen
Aliaksei Arlou, born in 1992, was arrested in May 2023 for donating to a foundation recognized as an extremist organization. He was sentenced to 3 years in prison for “financing extremist activities” (Article 361.2).
Oras Tynkkynen is a member of the Finnish Parliament for the party Vihreä liitto. This is the second time he is supporting a political prisoner in Belarus and has issued the following statement:
“Aliaksei is one of all too many Belarusians imprisoned for political reasons. His “crime”? Supporting human rights. It is both an honour and a duty for me to adopt Aliaksei as a political prisoner. I will do everything in my power to make sure that he walks free as soon as possible. And I will not stop until he and all other prisoners of conscience in Belarus are free. The brutal dictatorship of Alexander Lukashenko will come to an end – and the free world must work tirelessly to make that happen.”
- Andris Šuvajevs
Halina Dzerbysh is a retired accountant. She suffers from cancer and heart disease. Halina worked as an independent election observer for almost 15 years. In February 2021, the KGB put her on the list of terrorists. During the investigation, she was constantly threatened and locked up in a punishment cell. She was denied the necessary medication, which led to her fainting several times. In October 2022, Halina Dzerbysh was sentenced to 20 years in a penal colony. She was convicted under three articles of the Criminal Code: “Participation in a criminal organization” (Article 285.2), “Act of terrorism” (Article 289), and “Conspiracy to seize power” (Article 357).
Andris Šuvajevs is a Latvian MP for the PROGRESĪVIE party. He takes over the godparenthood for Halina and declares:
“I have joined the #WeStandBYyou campaign to support Belarusian political prisoners – people who suffer just for defending freedom, truth and democracy. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the Lukashenko regime has imprisoned over 1200 people, including journalists, activists, opposition politicians and teachers! Political prisoners have been deprived of their freedom of expression and action. They are also accused of extremism, tortured, held in colonies and in prisons in inhuman conditions. I have become the ‘godparent’ of 64-year-old pensioner Halina Dzerbish. She is a former accountant, a long-time election observer. A pensioner with oncological disease and cardiac problems, she was branded a terrorist by the Lukashenko regime and sentenced to 20 years in a colony. I am thinking of Halina and the other political prisoners. These people had to suffer for the truth – and it is our duty to speak for them. This is how we can send a signal to the regime: the world sees and will not forget your crimes.”
- Terry Reintke
Volha Petukh worked as an art director at the Europe Hotel in Minsk. She was arrested as a defendant in the case of the attempted arson of the house of Aleh Haidukevich, a pro-government parliament member. On June 21, 2023, the Minsk City Court announced the verdict. There were 18 defendants in the case, three of whom were convicted in absentia. Volha Petukh was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment in a general-security penal colony and added to the list of “terrorists”.
Terry Reintke, Co-Chair of the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament, has taken on the godparenthood for Volha Petukh and states:
“I call for the immediate release of Volha Petukh and all political prisoners in Belarus. I strongly condemn the blatant disregard for democratic principles, the falsified elections and massive human rights violations, the mass arrests of civilians during protests. Belarus must guarantee the fundamental rights of its citizens and hold free and fair elections. As a member of the European Parliament, I will continue to work to achieve this.”
