Zmitser Dashkevich - Belarus

Zmitser Dashkevich, a leader of "Young Front", the youth opposition movement in Belarus and a prisoner of conscience, has been released early from Sklou prison.

He had been serving a one and a half years prison sentence for “organising and participating in an activity of an unregistered non-governmental organisation”.

Amnesty International considered Zmitser Dashkevich to be a prisoner of conscience, imprisoned solely for the peaceful exercise of his rights to freedom of assembly, association and expression, and welcomes his release.

Update: 25 January 2008- Zmitser Dashkevich is released

Zmitser is now back home with his family after making his way on the train. His mother thanks all the people who supported him. Zmitser says he thinks his early release is due to international pressure.

It was in November 2006 that Zmitser was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment for "organising or participating in activities of an unregistered organisation." He was due to be released on 15th March this year.

Many members and young people in the UK joined in a global action in which more than 10,000 origami cranes were sent to the authorities in Belarus. Several thousand cranes were sent from the UK. Thank you to all who took action for Zmitser.

Read the full update on Zmitser's release.

Update: 20 June 2007

Youth opposition movement, Young Front, recently tried to register officially with the Belarusian authorities. This is the sixth attempt by the group to gain legal status; all previous attempts have been denied. Amnesty International has recently observed an increasing number of arrests of youth activists, particularly members of Young Front, who are being charged according to the same Article of the Belarusian Criminal Code that was used to imprison Zmitser, Article 193.1, "activities on behalf of an unregistered organization."

Since adding this Article to the Criminal Code in December 2005, the Belarusian authorities have used it to clamp down on civil society activity and deny Belarusians their basic rights to freedom of assembly, association and expression. Most recently, in early May, five members of Young Front were arrested and charged, according to the Article. As with Zmitser, they risked being sentenced to up to two years' imprisonment. However, they were given much milder sentences than Zmitser and were only fined.

This more lenient sentencing coincides with Amnesty International's Make Some Noise campaign; by the end of May we were aware that up to 3,000 origami cranes had been sent to the Minister of the Interior calling for Zmitser's release. Zmitser has also been receiving origami cranes in prison, and he has thanked everyone for the support, which he says is very important to him.

Background

Zmitser Dashkevich was summoned to the Prosecutor’s office on 15 September 2006 and charged according to Article 193 Part 1 of the Belarusian Criminal Code - the same Article under which Initiative Partnership activists Mikalay Astreyka and Tsimafey Dranchuk were sentenced earlier in the year. After a trial behind closed doors and lasting only two days, he was sentenced on 1 November to serve one and a half years in a minimum security prison. Hundreds of people, including opposition politicians, writers, diplomats and civil society activists held a demonstration outside the court calling for Zmitser Dashkevich’s release.

On 7 December, Zmitser Dashkevich was transferred to a prison colony in Shklou, in the east of Belarus, where he will serve the remainder of his sentence.

An appeal by his lawyer was refused by Minsk City Court on 15 December and the original sentence upheld.

Zmitser Dashkevich has previously been a prisoner of conscience following his arrest in April 2006 during a demonstration to mark the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. At that time he was sentenced to 14 days’ imprisonment for “organising an unsanctioned meeting”, and was released on completion of his sentence.

Amnesty International regards the continuing harassment and detention of opposition figures, and those involved in civil society activity as a deliberate attempt by the Belarusian authorities to intimidate and deter people from exercising their fundamental rights to freedom of assembly, association and expression. The result is the continued stifling of open, public debate and activity within Belarus.

Zmitser Dashkevich, a leader of "Young Front", the youth opposition movement in Belarus and a prisoner of conscience, has been released early from Sklou prison.

He had been serving a one and a half years prison sentence for “organising and participating in an activity of an unregistered non-governmental organisation”.

Amnesty International considered Zmitser Dashkevich to be a prisoner of conscience, imprisoned solely for the peaceful exercise of his rights to freedom of assembly, association and expression, and welcomes his release.

Update: 25 January 2008- Zmitser Dashkevich is released

Zmitser is now back home with his family after making his way on the train. His mother thanks all the people who supported him. Zmitser says he thinks his early release is due to international pressure.

It was in November 2006 that Zmitser was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment for "organising or participating in activities of an unregistered organisation." He was due to be released on 15th March this year.

Many members and young people in the UK joined in a global action in which more than 10,000 origami cranes were sent to the authorities in Belarus. Several thousand cranes were sent from the UK. Thank you to all who took action for Zmitser.

Read the full update on Zmitser's release.

Update: 20 June 2007

Youth opposition movement, Young Front, recently tried to register officially with the Belarusian authorities. This is the sixth attempt by the group to gain legal status; all previous attempts have been denied. Amnesty International has recently observed an increasing number of arrests of youth activists, particularly members of Young Front, who are being charged according to the same Article of the Belarusian Criminal Code that was used to imprison Zmitser, Article 193.1, "activities on behalf of an unregistered organization."

Since adding this Article to the Criminal Code in December 2005, the Belarusian authorities have used it to clamp down on civil society activity and deny Belarusians their basic rights to freedom of assembly, association and expression. Most recently, in early May, five members of Young Front were arrested and charged, according to the Article. As with Zmitser, they risked being sentenced to up to two years' imprisonment. However, they were given much milder sentences than Zmitser and were only fined.

This more lenient sentencing coincides with Amnesty International's Make Some Noise campaign; by the end of May we were aware that up to 3,000 origami cranes had been sent to the Minister of the Interior calling for Zmitser's release. Zmitser has also been receiving origami cranes in prison, and he has thanked everyone for the support, which he says is very important to him.

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