Rights defenders vow to raise awareness of political persecution in Belarus

The participants highlighted the arrests of Vaukavysk dissidents Yury Lyavonau, Uladzimir Asipenka and Mikalay Autukhovich, and opposition youth Artsyom Dubski, describing the four men as political prisoners
The statement was signed by, among others, Dranchuk, former political prisoner Dzmitry Kaspyarovich, legal experts Aleh Volchak and Syarhey Balykin.
Held in custody since February 8, Autukhovich, Asipenka and Lyavonaw were said to be suspected of perpetrating arson and explosions targeting the property of local officials and of illegal possession of explosives and firearms.
They were formally charged with deliberate destruction of or damage to property caused in a way dangerous to the public or the intentional infliction of large-scale damage on February 18.
Dubski, a 22-year-old member of an opposition youth group called Malady Front, was arrested at the Homyel railroad station on February 13 on his way from Russia to Minsk. He has been charged with failure to meet requirements for serving the two-year "restricted freedom" sentence that was imposed on him for participation in an unsanctioned demonstration staged in Minsk in January 2008.