The Working Group 3 of the Ukrainian National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum strongly condemns the actions of the Belarusian authorities to detain Belarusian environmental activists and other civil society representatives, which was part of the brutal suppression of peaceful protests after the August 9, 2020, presidential election.
Among the illegally detained by the Belarusian authorities there is are a prominent leader of the environmental public movement in Belarus and one of the most authoritative public figures in the country Irina Sukhiy, chairman of the Coalition of Environmental NGOs “Green Network”, chairman of the NGO “Ekodom”, a fighter for balanced, environmentally friendly and nuclear-free future of Belarus. Iryna Sukhiy was abducted by plainclothes men from her apartment and taken to the regional police department on September 6, where she continues to be illegally detained.
We, members of Working Group 3 of the Ukrainian National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum, know Iryna Sukhiy as a fundamental leader of the environmental community due to her active work within the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum.
We call on the Belarussian authorities to release Iryna Sukha and all other detained civic activists and peaceful protesters, as well as to end political and violent pressure on political opponents, to refrain from the violent confrontation with Belarusian citizens, participants in rallies and protests, and to stop violating rights and freedoms of citizens of Belarus.