Homel: prayer within the framework of "Solidarity Wave" held under vigilant watch of "observers in civvies"
On 3 March in Homel members of the the
organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy party held
a prayer in support of political prisoners and handed out
informational materials about the Belarusian citziens who are kept in
jail because of their convictions, civil and political activities.
Bear in mind that the "Wave of Solidarity",
initiated by the organizing committee of the BCD, will last up to 25
March, Freedom Day. "The question of political prisoners is
considered to be one of the most fundamental and there can be no
talks about any dialogue or contacts with the authorities until it is
solved. This is the problem which unites our democratic community,"
stated the coordinator of the organizing committee of the BCD in
Homel region Yury Klimovich.
The prayer was held under a BCD
flag near one of the memorial crosses installed on the 9th kilometer
of the highway Homel-Chernihiv, where thousands of people had been
shot dead during Stalin's repressions.
"We decided to
hold the prayer here, as far as it is probably the only place outside
the city where we can gather, as far as the authorities don't
authorize any pickets or rallies. That's why the only thing left to
us is to gather outside the city, in the place where our ancestors
are buried. Here, on the both sides of the highway, NKVD officers
killed people. This holy place is where we chose to gather,"
said the BCD coordinator.
The action was observed by unknown
people in civvies who shot it on the video, but created no obstacles
to its participants.
