Human rights activists have issued a statement recognizing the detainees in the ‘Nasha Niva’ case as political prisoners. Human rights activists demand that the authorities stop terrorizing citizens, release and rehabilitate people detained on political grounds, reports the HRC ‘Viasna.’
Among the newly-recognized political prisoners are Yahor Martsinovich, chief editor of ‘Nasha Niva,’ Andrei Skurko, head of advertising and marketing, Volha Rakovich, chief accountant, and Andrei Dynko, chief editor of scientific and popular magazine ‘Nasha Historyia’ and children’s magazines ‘Dudu’ and ‘Careful, children’ (these magazines are published by ‘Nasha Niva’).
Human rights activists think that the real reason for the criminal prosecution of the ‘Nasha Niva’ staff is the political motivation to stop or change the nature of their public activity for legal purposes as a part of the editorial board of the newspaper in connection with the non-violent realization of the freedom of expression and distribution of information.
Human rights activists demand the immediate release of political prisoners and an end to repression.
In Belarus, 548 people are currently recognized as political prisoners.
