“Freedom to Mikita Sasim” Action Started in Poland

25.04.2006.

Source: www.charter97.org

The Poland-based “Union For Democracy Support in Belarus” has started a campaign “Freedom to Mikita Sasim”, which aim is in sending as many letters as possible to the detained youth activist, the Radio Svaboda informs.

“The Union For Democracy Support in Belarus” has distributed a statement saying that Mikita Sasim is paying a huge price for lifting up a jeans shirt over his head instead of a white-red-white flag seized by policemen. Jeans has become a symbol of resistance to Lukashenka.

“He was brutally beaten up by riot policemen, and Mikita Sasim was placed to a hospital. Now he faces up to 3 years in prison, though officially the charges are different. We know that in this situation, difficult for him, any support from outside would inspire him with new life and would help him to hold on,” is stated in the address urging to write letters to Mikita Sasim to Baranavichy remand prison.

According to the deputy chairman of the Union, Vital Lotsmanau, this action can be helpful.

“We want the authorities to feel pressure. Such actions make sense, as is known form the experience of “Solidarity”, when political prisoners received a great quantity of letters from the West. Sometimes the authorities either improved conditions for them, or released them,” V.Lotsmanau said.

Letters to the remand prison where Mikita Sasim is kept is not the only action in the course of the activist’s release. Other ideas are not disclosed still.

“We are planning other actions as well, but it is too early to speak about them,” V. Lotsmanau said.