The EaP CSF Steering Committee condemns the illegal detention of some of its Belarusian members.
The EaP CSF Steering Committee strongly condemns the unjustified and illegal detention of EaP CSF members Andrei Yahorau and Irina Sukhy.
Following the illegal arrests of Andrei Yahorau and Irina Sukhy on 5 and 6 September, the EaP CSF Steering Committee strongly condemns their unjustified detention:
Andrei Yahorau, Co-Chair of the Coordinating Committee of the Belarusian National Platform of the EaP CSF, and a member of the Coordination Council initiated by Sviatlana Tikhanouskaya, was abducted by unknown people on the street on September 6 during a peaceful protest.
Irina Sukhy, Chair of the Green Network board and representative of the Ecohome NGO, was abducted by plainclothes law enforcement officers from her home and placed in the Sovetskiy district office in Minsk on the night of 5 September. After her arrest, law enforcement officers performed an illegal search in her apartment, refusing to identify themselves or to provide any documents warranting the inspection of the apartment.
In light of this highly alarming situation, the Belarusian National Platform of the EaP CSF demands calls on Belarusian authorities to:
- immediately release all political prisoners, all detained and abducted participants in peaceful protests, including our colleagues Andrei Yahorau and Irina Sukhy
- end the violence and repression by law enforcement agencies and bring the perpetrators to justice
- invalidate the results of the election of the President of the Republic of Belarus on August 9, 2020 due to widespread violations and falsifications
- begin a meaningful dialogue between the illegitimate incumbent government of the Republic of Belarus and Sviatlana Tikhanouskaya, including the appointed representatives of the Coordination Council for a peaceful transfer of power
Members of the Steering Committee of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum
Zaur Akbar, Youth Club Public Union, Azerbaijan
Olga Chyzhova, Digital Communication Network, Estonia
Ina Coseru, National Environmental Center, Moldova
Lousineh Hakobyan, Europe in Law Association, Armenia
Mikayel Hovhannisyan, Eurasia Partnership Foundation, Armenia
Shahla Ismayil, Women’s Association for Rational Development (WARD), Azerbaijan
Maksym Koriavets, Polissya Foundation for International and Regional Studies, Ukraine
Mikalai Kvantaliani, Association “New Group”, Belarus
Natia Kuprashvili, Journalism Resource Center, Georgia
Adrian Lupusor, Expert-Grup, Moldova
Tatiana Marian, National Trade Union Confederation of Moldova
Sofia Strive, ForumCiv, Sweden
Yurii Vdovenko, Center for Cross-Border Cooperation, Ukraine
