Background (Preamble):
As the economic situation is getting worse in Belarus Loukashenko is forced to go to extremes – negotiate financial support from the West. Yet, cooperation with the EU is only possible if all political prisoners are set free. There is an abyss behind him, so he has to make some steps forward: he has already pardoned 13 participants of the 19.12.2010 demonstration on their appeal.
Now pressure is being born upon those who remain in prison and refuse to ask for mercy. We regard this as a positive tendency, what causes our concern is the fact that at present the list of political prisoners only contains the names of the 19.12.2010 demonstration and the Mlady Front members arrested the day before. At the same time, activists convicted in connection with the so-called „Case of Belarus anarchists” arrested during the election campaign of the current president remain in custody (more on gopetition.com).
