Speaking Out in Belarus

The Belarusian National Republic existed for only a single year. Independence was declared on March 25, 1918; by 1919, the Soviet Union seized control of the country. Ever since, freedoms—the freedom of speech, press, and assembly—have been under constant threat.

On Tuesday, March 25th, a demonstration was under way in Minsk to commemorate the anniversary of the Belarusian National Republic, that short-lived period of self-rule which came and went 90 years ago. The demonstration was peaceful: waving of flags, chanting of “Long Live Belarus”. Nevertheless, the police broke up the gathering, brutally beating several demonstrators, and arresting more than 100 people. Among those was one of our own authors: Pavel Turchaninov.

Turchaninov was beaten, arrested, and forced to spend a night in prison. He is currently facing a fine of 1,000,000 rubble (about 295 €). Others in the demonstration received even harsher penalties. Some will spend up to 15 days in prison.

In recent years, these anniversary demonstrations have increasingly become a statement against the authoritarian rule of President Alexander Lukashenko. In addition to Minsk, demonstrations of this sort have taken place in cities all across Europe over the past week. The aftermath of such demonstrations reveals that changes need to take place in Belarus. These changes begin with freedom—the freedom to speak out against the government (be it in a newspaper or in the street) without fear of intimidation, beating, or prison.

To many of us, this seems incredibly far away, unreal. Celebrating national holidays has become mostly-empty ritual, a day off from school or work, nothing more. Freedom of speech seems to be a birthright. Yet some individuals, such as Pavel Turchaninov, the luxury of freedom is impossible to achieve, and even a slight attempt to refute the undemocratic system currently in place carries with it a significant risk.

We would like to express our solidarity and our admiration for his courage to actually risk something for a right which is taken for granted by most of us: Freedom. For more information about how you can help, visit the Citizens of Europe homepage.