Hunger Strike under Way
Valery Fralow, Siarhei Skrabets, Uladzimir Parfianovich, and 6 UCP and BPF activists continue their political hunger strike. Doctors ascertain satisfactory state of their health. The US Ambassador expressed his support to the hunger-strikers.
US Ambassador George Krol, who visited the protesters on June 8, urged the Belarusian authorities to bring the election legislation and procedures to conformity with the OSCE norms and to observe the civic and human rights of the arrested Mikhail Marynich.
On June 9 the hunger strikers were visited by leader of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party Narodnaya Hramada Mikola Statkevich and his colleagues. According to Mikola Statkevich, the protesters on hunger strike need active support of all political forces of the country.
Ex-chairman of the Council of the Republic (upper chamber of the National Assembly) Alexander Vaitovich also came to express moral support to the MPs and political activists on hunger strike. He stated he was in favor of their work to improve the election legislation. “I completely support their efforts because there are really many provisions in the election law that need to be improved”, -- said A. Vaitovich.
Ivonka Survilla, chair of the Belarusian People’s Republic government in exile, spoke to Siarhei Skrabets over the phone and expressed support to hunger strikers.
Lithuanian parliament members spread he statement in support of the Belarusian Mps on hunger strike. The statement was initiated by the group for inter-parliamentary relations with the Supreme Soviet of the 13th convocations and democratic forces of Belarus. The group leaders stress the importance of support of the hunger strike against growing injustice and autocracy in Belarus. In the statement they express “solidarity with the Belarusian hunger strikers who aspire to oppose the strengthening of the authoritarian regime in Belarus”.
Meanwhile, MPs Valery Fralow, Siarhei Skrabets, and Uladzimir Parfianovich addressed representatives of power structures, “vertical” officials, and members of the parliament and of regional councils. Their appeal says: “The situation of willfulness ruling the country will change very soon. We would like you to remain people of dignity for your families as well as in your own eyes. We don’t call upon you to build barricades, but we earnestly ask you to act in the frames of the Constitution and the common sense”.
Belarusian human rights activists organized an independent observation post in the apartment of General Fralow where the hunger strike takes place. According to Alena Tankachova from the closed Independent Society for Legal Research they will regularly inform the public about health state of the hunger strikes.
