BELARUS: Young evangelical leader threatened while imprisoned on false charges 04/10/2011
CSW has received reports that Youth Front leader, 30 year old Zmitser Dashkevich, has received threats while imprisoned on false charges of hooliganism.
Zmitser Dashkevich serves two-year sentence
CSW reported on Zmitser Dashkevich’s case several years ago, and an international campaign led to his release from prison in 2006. Further to this, on 18 December 2010 just before the presidential election in Belarus, Zmitser Dashkevich was arrested and falsely accused of hooliganism, for which he currently serves a two-year prison sentence. He is an evangelical Christian and a member of John the Baptist church in Minsk.
Concern over Zmitser’s critical condition
Several days ago information emerged regarding physical and moral pressure on Zmitser from the prison administration and overall risk to his life. Another political prisoner, a former presidential nominee in Belarus’s 2010 election, Andrey Sannikov, told his attorney on 27 September that he had met Dashkevich during his transfer from one prison to another. According to Sannikov, Zmitser’s state is critical and urgent measures should be employed to prevent his death.
CSW therefore echoes the urgent prayer and calls for the relinquishing of pressure and the immediate release of Zmitser Dashkevich and other Belarusian political prisoners.
Zmitser Dashkevich: his background
Zmitser has spent much of his youth campaigning for unity within Belarus and teaching Christian principles. He was appointed co-leader of an organisation called Young Front in 2005; a youth reform movement against government authoritarianism. Young Front campaigns for human rights through rallies, demonstrations, photographic exhibitions, political action, press articles and flyering. Zmitser has been a member of Young Front since 2001 and he promotes wider civil society while contributing to social and educational programmes. He received a human rights award in 2006.
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Pray
- Pray that Zmitser’s physical, psychological and spiritual strength would be sustained.
- Pray for international attention on his situation and for the authorities to drop false charges of hooliganism against him.
- Pray that the church and movement he belongs to will continue to bravely press for his safety and be salt and light in Belarus.
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