Andrey Shantarovich Feels Bad on the 20th Day of Hunger Strike

08.11.2004.

RFE/RL

On 8 November, the twentieth day of hunger strike the state of health of the chief editor of the Mestnaya Gazeta newspaper Andrey Shantarovich deteriorated. The local and the central authorities ignore the hunger strike despite the protest of Shantarovich and his colleagues. The leaders of Belarus Association of Journalists Eduard Melnikaw, Tatsiana Melnichuk, Mikhail Pastukhow and the chief editor of the Narodnaya Volia newspaper Iosif Siaredzich sent him a letter with the request to stop hungering.

Eduar Melnikaw:
-- We apply to Andrey. We value him as a professional journalist and when we see that the authorities pay absolutely no attention to the hunger strike, we should care about the life and health of our colleagues.

Andrey Shantarovich demands from the Ministry of Information to renew the edition of the newspaper that was suspended a month ago and from the local authorities – to permit placing the office of the newspaper in the town of Vawkavysk. In his interview to RFE/RL Mr. Shantarovich said:

-- The state of my health is much worse. I feel dizzy and lie more than walk. I feel week and not good in general.

He also said that the minister of information Uladzimir Rusakevich and the local authorities simply ignore all his applications.

Another citizen of Vawkavysk, pensioner Valiantsina Saldatava, continues her hunger strike as well. She is hungering for the eleventh day to protest against the falsification of the results of the election in Vawkavysk and said she is not going to stop the hunger strike.