Human rights activists have recognized Ihar Losik as a political prisoner and demanded his immediate release, reports the Viasna human rights center.
Since Losik was detained and placed in a jail on suspicion of “organizing group actions that grossly violate public order” (article 342 of the Criminal Code), the human rights community considers this persecution politically motivated.
The position of human rights organizations in relation to the detained and accused under this article was stated in a joint statement of 9 June. It claims that the picketing is a peaceful assembly, stipulated by law. Accordingly, neither the events in Hrodna on 29 May during the collection of signatures, nor the solidarity chain in Minsk in June can be considered as a violation of public order.
Human rights activists demand immediate release of Ihor Losik and other political prisoners, as well as termination of the criminal case against them.
To date, human rights activists have recognized 20 people as political prisoners. International human rights organization Amnesty International recognized Syarhei Tsikhanouski, Viktar Babaryka, their associates and bloggers as prisoners of conscience, a total of 17 people.
Ihar Losik is a blogger and administrator of the popular TG-channel “Belarus of the Brain”, which actively covered the events around the election campaign. Ihar is also a freelance consultant of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
On Tuesday, June 25, the family house in Baranavichy where Ihar Losik lived with his family was searched, then he was detained. On June 29, he was transferred from the temporary detention center in Akrestsina to the detention center #1 in Minsk.
