“Criminal prosecution for political reasons continues” continues as a main form of repressions in Belarus, and it
"affecting new social groups while maintaining a massive and widespread character." (via Viasna)
Political prisoners: 881
Convicted in politically motivated criminal trials: at least 958
Up to 473 attempts at crossing the Belarusian-Polish border were attempted daily in September, as the Belarusian regime continued using migrants to retaliate against Poland and Lithuania. Pushed back from EU borders, migrants end up in limbo in neighboring forests.
A group of migrants remained stuck between Belarusian and Polish border patrols near Usnarz Górny with little access to shelter or food since early August. At least 5 migrants died from hypothermia in September. (via Washington Post, CNN, Boston Globe, Reuters)
Pro-democracy leader Maria Kolesnikova was sentenced to 11 years in prison. (via Washington Post, New York Times)
A raid by special forces resulted in a shooting and deaths of IT worker Andrei Zeltser, shot in his apartment, and a security forces member. Over a hundred people were arrested for commenting on social media about the shooting (via BBC, the Guardian, Reuters, and Viasna)
The Helsinki Commission--an independent commission of the U.S. Federal Government--held a hearing on "Seeking Justice and Freedom in Belarus." The former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor David Kramer called for additional sanctions on Lukashenko's "wallets" and called the Middle East partners to choose between business with the U.S. or with Lukashenko. Kramer noted that the IMF should not have provided the lifeline to Lukashenko's regime. (via CSCE.GOV)
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) refused to recognize the last presidential election in Belarus. PACE set up an international investigative body to secure evidence on human rights crimes in Belarus. (via PACE.COE.INT)
The international unions ITUC and IndustriALL condemned the Belarusian regime's intensified raids against and arrests of union activists. (via ITUC-csi.org)
Watch Last Week Tonight with John Oliver on Lukashenko and Belarus
40 Belarusian activist organizations from 27 countries, including ABA, attended a conference organized by pro-democracy leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's headquarters in Vilnius, Lithuania.
Belarusian diaspora appeals to CNN and other international news media to avoid referring to Lukashenko as "president" of Belarus.
SUPPORT & help raise funds for "Rabochi Ruh," the nationwide movement of workers of Belarus to protect their civil and labor rights. At least 16 factory workers who had participated in strikes were arrested in September. (via Belsat, Viasna).
#FREEVIASNA: Members of the human rights organization Viasna, including Ales Bialiatski, are among the regime's political prisoners.
For weekly news on Belarus, visit BelarusFF.org. You can add your email to receive weekly news summaries.
In September, Belarusian-American communities continued their advocacy work and organized picnics and festivals (see BelarusTogether.com).
On September 8, Los Angeles, CA, lighted up the City Hall building in white-red-white. Local activists held a candlelight vigil in front of it
Club SIABRY, Belarus Freedom-Philadelphia, and Belarus Together held a festival of Belarusian culture, BelFest, in Philadelphia, PA
Belarusian activists ran a San Francisco marathon in support of a human-rights organization Viasna
Belarusians in Chicago organized a Belarus Festival that attracted a multi-generational crowd and included children and grandchildren of Belarusian immigrants
Belarusian communities, including in Seattle, WA, continue to write letters to political prisoners in Belarus.
Belarusians of New York celebrated the fall harvest with the Belarusian tradition called Bahach