President
Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA
ul. Karla Marxa 38
220016 Minsk
BELARUS

Dear President Lukashenka

I am writing to express my concern about the persecution of civil society and political activists in Belarus under Article 193-1 of the Belarusian Criminal Code. Since its introduction in December 2005, Amnesty International has been calling for the release of individuals who have been imprisoned under Article 193-1, targeted solely for the peaceful expression of their human rights.

Amnesty International notes that your government refuses to register organizations, such as Young Front, and then prosecutes those who participate in legitimate activities on their behalf under Article 193-1. While some individuals have served prison terms, others are being sentenced to huge fines. Furthermore, such a sentence results in a criminal record and may lead to subsequent discrimination, for example, expulsion from academic institutions.

I urge your government to:

• abolish Article 193-1 which violates both the Belarusian Constitution and your country’s obligations under international human rights law to protect and respect the rights to freedom of assembly, association and expression.

• stop the obstruction, harassment and intimidation of civil society activists who are peacefully exercising their human rights in Belarus;

• stop the practice of suspending and expelling students from their academic institutions solely for peacefully exercising their human rights.

Yours sincerely