500 letters sent to courthouses across Belarus

LIBERECO has sent a letter to 491 Belarusian judges. All are involved in the unjust and inhumane imprisonment of political prisoners in Belarus. The letter was signed by 72 parliamentarians from 11 European parliaments.

It begins, “We are parliamentarians from Europe who care about the rule of law and justice. Our responsibility in our parliaments is to advocate for our citizens, to uphold their rights, and to protect the innocent. We write to you, a judge in Belarus, because you share these responsibilities in your job.”

Ken McBain, LIBERECO representative in the UK said, “In sending the letter the European parliamentarians show these judges that their unjust, inhumane and cruel work is seen and known across Europe. Thousands of lives and families have been brutalised by the judgements from these judges, who have betrayed the people they swore to serve with fairness and impartiality. But, it is not too late for them to change and truly serve justice, rather than serving the Lukashenko regime.”

Letters sent to the courthouses across Belarus

In the campaign, all judges were sent a personal copy of the letter, delivered to the courthouse in Belarus they are associated with. Commenting on his involvement in the campaign, the Polish Member of the European Parliament Michał Kobosko said, “This is one of the biggest tragedies of modern Europe.”

He added, “A nation that wanted only freedom was betrayed by its own state. Thousands beaten, hundreds sentenced, children without parents, homes left behind. Women and men who had the courage to say ‘no’ are now suffering in prison cells. Their only ‘crime’ was dreaming of democracy. That is why I support the initiative to send letters to the judges who, over the past five years, have sentenced Belarusians for their political beliefs. This is an important act of protest against lawlessness and repression. I believe that international pressure – in any form – can make Lukashenko’s enablers reflect on their actions. Those who serve the regime today must know that the world is watching.”

The text of the letter:

Dear < judge name >,

We are parliamentarians from Europe who care about the rule of law and justice. Our responsibility in our parliaments is to advocate for our citizens, to uphold their rights, and to protect the innocent. We write to you, a judge in Belarus, because you share these responsibilities in your job.

As a Belarusian Judge you solemnly swore that, “before the people of the Republic of Belarus to honestly and conscientiously fulfill my duties, to administer justice, obeying only the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus, to be impartial and fair, as the duty of a judge commands me.”

We are sure that you are aware that the Republic of Belarus is a signatory to the United Nation’s Convention against Torture and Other Cruel Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

It is now five years in Belarus where we have seen thousands of your fellow country-men and women unjustly arrested, tried, sentenced and imprisoned without supporting evidence. We are writing to you, and all other judges in Belarus who are involved in trials against your fellow Belarusians. We want to remind you that the world is aware of the abuses of justice and freedom and human rights that you participate in.

We, as parliamentarians, serve our country, the European Union, and our citizens, and we hope that we can look back with a clear conscience and pride in how we did that. You are in a position of authority and responsibility so we, all of the undersigned, ask that you exercise that authority and responsibility so that you too can have a clear conscience and pride in your work.

Yours sincerely,

Austrian Nationalrat
Petra Bayr

European Parliament
Germany
Sergey Lagodinsky
Gabriele Bischoff
Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann
Netherlands
Thijs Reuten
Poland
Michał Kobosko

Finnish Parliament
Oras Tynkkynen

Flemish Parliament
Fourat Ben Chikha

German Bundestag
Agnieszka Brugger
Anton Hofreiter
Armin Grau
Kassem Taher Saleh
Katrin Göring-Eckardt
Claudia Müller
Claudia Roth
Konstantin von Notz
Lena Gumnior
Lisa Badum
Lukas Benner
Max Lucks
Ophelia Nick
Robin Wagener
Sandra Stein
Swantje Michaelsen
Tina Winklmann
Felix Banaszak
Franziska Brantner
Hanna Steinmüller
Helge Limburg
Chantal Kopf
Julian Joswig
Jan-Niclas Gesenhues

Latvian Saeima
Andris Šuvajevs
Antoņina Ņenaševa
Kaspars Briškens
Leila Rasima
Mairita Lūse
Jurģis Klotiņš
Juris Viļums
Jana Simanovska

Luxembourg Chamber of Deputies
Gusty Graas
Yves Cruchten
Meris Sehovic
Nathalie Morgenthaler
Octavie Modert
Paul Galles
Sam Tanson
Sven Clement
Tom Weidig

Scottish Parliament
Beatrice Wishart
Bob Doris
John Mason
Kevin Stewart
Kenneth Gibson
Liam McArthur
Paul Sweeney
Willie Rennie

Second Chamber, Netherlands
Kati Piri
Tom van der Lee

Swiss Nationalrat
Barbara Gysi
Katharina Prelicz-Huber
Claudia Friedl
Mattea Meyer
Nicolas Walder
Priska Seiler Graf
Cédric Wermuth

British Parliament
Wendy Chamberlain
Baroness Kennedy of the Shaws LT KC
Baroness Crawley
Lord Griffiths of Burry Port
Lord Russell of Liverpool
Lord Foulkes of Cumnock