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News from the Belarusian Diaspora in the USA, JUNE-JULY 2021 aba-together.org
August 9 will mark one year since the blatantly falsified presidential elections in Belarus and the start of the protests.
REPRESSIONS IN BELARUS
REPRESSIONS IN BELARUS
REPRESSIONS IN BELARUS
Political prisoners: 603
Protest-related criminal cases: 4691 (via Viasna and Viasna)
The brutal crackdown continued with at least 232 politically motivated criminal trials in June and July (via Viasna and Viasna). Trials of Sergei Tikhanousky, Igor Losik, Nikolai Statkevich, and other activists were held in their place of detention. Former presidential candidate Viktor Babariko was sentenced to 14 years in prison.
In July, the authorities organized massive purges (chistki) of the remaining independent and local news media, human rights, and civil society organizations. More than 50 organizations were closed down. Polish-funded news media Belsat was labeled ‘extremist.’ Among the detained were Ales Belyatski, the head of the human rights organization Viasna, along with many dozens of human rights and civil society activists, journalists, and independent analysts. (via The Guardian, AP, Viasna, and Viasna).
Earlier in June, special forces also raided private businesses, accusing them of tax fraud and support of the protesters (via tut.by/zerkalo.io and Belarusian officials, in Russian). Arrests of protest activists continue. (via Belta).
In apparent retaliation against the EU sanctions, the regime flooded neighboring Lithuania with a wave of illegal immigrants from Iraq. (via The New York Times and Washington Post)
U. S. RESPONSE
REPRESSIONS IN BELARUS
REPRESSIONS IN BELARUS
Pro-democracy leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya visited the US on July 18-31. In the course of the visit, Tsikhanouskaya:
- met with President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Anthony J Blinken, and other top officials of President Biden’s administration, as well as former Secretaries of State Madeleine Albright and Condoleezza Rice;
- attended the opening ceremony of the bipartisan Friends of Belarus Caucus in the US Congress, meeting with Representatives Bill Keating, Chris Smith, Marcy Kaptur, and Joe Wilson; met with Rep. Bob Menendez, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and other representatives;
- met with Ambassador Julie Fisher and all EU ambassadors and heads of missions;
- gave interviews to CNN, MSNBC Morning Joe, Foreign Policy, National Interest, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Atlantic Council, AP News, Bloomberg, Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Voice of America, tut.by / zerkalo.io, BuzzFeed News, Kennan Institute, TV Rain.
Tsikhanouskaya described Belarus as on the frontline of the struggle between autocracy and democracy. She called for the support of Belarusian civil society, political and financial isolation of the regime, and support for democratic Belarus in the future.
The vlog diary of the visit is on Strana dlya Zhizni.
For weekly news on Belarus, visit BelarusFF.org. You can add your email to receive weekly news summaries.
BelarusBrief JUNE - JULY 2021
Sviatlana Tsikhanovskaya met with Belarusian diaspora. Earlier in July, several communities organized picnics to celebrate Ivana-Kupala, a traditional holiday..
Washington, DC
San Francisco, CA
Washington, DC
Freedom Plaza in Washington, DC
New York, NY
San Francisco, CA
Washington, DC
Battery Park in New York, NY
San Francisco, CA
San Francisco, CA
Silicon Valley, CA
Embarcadero Plaza, San Francisco, CA
Silicon Valley, CA
Silicon Valley, CA
Silicon Valley, CA
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with Belarusian IT professionals in Silicon Valley.
Los Angeles, CA
Silicon Valley, CA
Philadelphia, PA
Tongva Park in Santa Monica, CA
Philadelphia, PA
Silicon Valley, CA
Philadelphia, PA
Belarusians from Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, North Carolina, and Washington, DC gathered in Philadelphia to celebrate the ancient holiday of Ivana-Kupala. Activities included fishing, paddleboards, relay races, weaving wreaths, dancing, and traditional jumping over the fire to protect against evil spirits.
News from the Belarusian Diaspora in the USA, JUNE-JULY 2021 aba-together.org
August 9 will mark one year since the blatantly falsified presidential elections in Belarus and the start of the protests.
REPRESSIONS IN BELARUS
REPRESSIONS IN BELARUS
REPRESSIONS IN BELARUS
Political prisoners: 603
Protest-related criminal cases: 4691 (via Viasna and Viasna)
The brutal crackdown continued with at least 232 politically motivated criminal trials in June and July (via Viasna and Viasna). Trials of Sergei Tikhanousky, Igor Losik, Nikolai Statkevich, and other activists were held in their place of detention. Former presidential candidate Viktor Babariko was sentenced to 14 years in prison.
In July, the authorities organized massive purges (chistki) of the remaining independent and local news media, human rights, and civil society organizations. More than 50 organizations were closed down. Polish-funded news media Belsat was labeled ‘extremist.’ Among the detained were Ales Belyatski, the head of the human rights organization Viasna, along with many dozens of human rights and civil society activists, journalists, and independent analysts. (via The Guardian, AP, Viasna, and Viasna).
Earlier in June, special forces also raided private businesses, accusing them of tax fraud and support of the protesters (via tut.by/zerkalo.io and Belarusian officials, in Russian). Arrests of protest activists continue. (via Belta).
In apparent retaliation against the EU sanctions, the regime flooded neighboring Lithuania with a wave of illegal immigrants from Iraq. (via The New York Times and Washington Post)
U. S. RESPONSE
REPRESSIONS IN BELARUS
REPRESSIONS IN BELARUS
Pro-democracy leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya visited the US on July 18-31. In the course of the visit, Tsikhanouskaya:
- met with President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Anthony J Blinken, and other top officials of President Biden’s administration, as well as former Secretaries of State Madeleine Albright and Condoleezza Rice;
- attended the opening ceremony of the bipartisan Friends of Belarus Caucus in the US Congress, meeting with Representatives Bill Keating, Chris Smith, Marcy Kaptur, and Joe Wilson; met with Rep. Bob Menendez, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and other representatives;
- met with Ambassador Julie Fisher and all EU ambassadors and heads of missions;
- gave interviews to CNN, MSNBC Morning Joe, Foreign Policy, National Interest, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Atlantic Council, AP News, Bloomberg, Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Voice of America, tut.by / zerkalo.io, BuzzFeed News, Kennan Institute, TV Rain.
Tsikhanouskaya described Belarus as on the frontline of the struggle between autocracy and democracy. She called for the support of Belarusian civil society, political and financial isolation of the regime, and support for democratic Belarus in the future.
The vlog diary of the visit is on Strana dlya Zhizni.