“Partnerstvo” activists in Belarus declared Prisoners of Conscience

Amnesty International has declared the four activists of the civic initiative group for observing the elections “Partnerstvo”, sentenced on 4 August, to be prisoners of conscience.

Amnesty International called on the authorities to immediately release Nikolai Astreiko, Timofei Dranchuk, Enira Bronitskaya and Aleksandr Shalaiko.

The four were charge with “taking part in and running an unregistered civic organization which encroaches on civil liberties”.

Amnesty International has already designated several hundred people imprisoned by the Belarusian authorities prisoners of conscience.

Heather McGill from AI said that the human rights organization was concerned at repression of civic activists and restrictions on the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association in the Belarus.