The Union of Belarusian Writers appeals for international solidarity to stop violence directed against peaceful protesters and to hold free, fair and transparent new elections in Belarus.

An Appeal to Europeans and Citizens of the World: Please speak out about Belarus, write about the tragic situation here, and relay this appeal to the national leaders of your country with your demands for timely and effective political responses against the perpetrators of torture and election rigging in Belarus.

Minsk, Belarus – August 17, 2020

The Union of Belarusian Writers, invoking the principles set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, calls on all literary organizations, journalists and other cultural figures to express their solidarity with the people of Belarus.

At this critical moment for the Belarusian people, we ask you to help disseminate information about suspectedlarge-scale election falsification and the recent escalation in indiscriminate acts of violence against our country’s civilians. Youwill find more details in the attached appendix titled “Voices of Belarus”.

We urgently call on you to raise attention and contribute to the independent charitable projectBY_HELPthat is helping victims of these mass assaults. As ofAugust 14^th, the initiative had already collected more than USD 2,000,000 in donations from around the world.

For its part, the Union of Belarusian Writers has already demanded that the Belarusian authorities immediately stop the violence against peaceful protesters, release all citizens arrested during the 2020 election campaign, reconstitute a credible Central Election Committee, and hold a free, fair and transparent election under international observation.

The Secretariat of the Union of Belarusian Writers

Minsk, 17 August 2020    

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About the Union of Belarusian Writers

We are a professional creative community of Belarusian writers. Our Union is based on the principles of freedom of speech and self-expression. We strive to protect authors’ rights and to develop, popularize, and promote Belarusian literature as an integral value for society that is essential to the existence of the Belarusian nation.  Founded in 1933-34, the Union of Belarusian Writers is the oldest creative organization in Belarus. Its members include, among others, the Nobel Prize winner Svetlana Alexievich and the well-known writers Uladzimir Niakliaeu, Raisa Baravikova, Uladzimir Arlou, Anatol Viarcinskі and Ales Razanau.

For further information, please visit our webpage at lit-bel.org or contact us directly at ubw.office@gmail.com

Download the appeal, the Voices from Belarus and the summary of the political background

To the EWC Statement: The European Writers’ Council vehemently condemns the massive violations of free speech and human rights in Belarus.

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Since peaceful protests against a rigged election began in Belarus, the government has unleashed terrible violence against its own citizens, including children. The authorities have imprisoned demonstrators and are subjecting them to horrible conditions beyond comprehension.

These following reports and interviews document the arbitrary violence against citizens of Belarus. A summary of the political events can be found at the end of this collection of Voices from Belarus:

VOICES FROM BELARUS