Today marks 2 years since the beginning of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. This is the most devastating war in Europe in the past 75 years, already claiming the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. Millions of Ukrainians have become refugees.
This is not someone else's war for us. It is an existential conflict between two closest neighbors. The worst part is that the current regime has dragged our country into this. Yes, Belarusian soldiers are not participating in combat operations. But Russian troops marched towards Kyiv from the territory of Belarus. Those who killed and tortured Ukrainians in Bucha were among them. Russian missiles flew to Ukraine from the direction of Belarus.
Official Minsk actively supports Russia in the war and makes derogatory statements against Ukrainians and Ukraine. But there is another side. In February 2022, Belarusians protested against the war. They came out to protest despite 1.5 years of ongoing repression, knowing they could end up behind bars. As a result, at least 1671 people were detained for anti-war protests. At least 94 of them have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from 1 year to 23 years.
Moreover, brave Belarusians resist this war as best they can, even at the cost of their fate and health. Let's remember the railway partisans who tried to stop trains carrying Russian military equipment and soldiers through Belarus.
Today, these heroes of Belarus are behind bars, serving huge sentences in inhumane conditions.
List of railway partisans:
1. Dmitry Medvedsky, 36 years old, accused of organizing and preparing actions grossly violating public order, insulting the President of the Republic of Belarus, deliberately disabling a vehicle or communication routes. Arrested in September 2022. Court sentence: 2.5 years in prison.
2. Vitaly Melnik, 40 years old, accused of illegal actions regarding firearms, ammunition, and explosives, insulting the President of the Republic of Belarus, deliberately disabling a vehicle or communication routes, as well as a terrorist act. Arrested in March 2022. Court sentence: 13 years in prison.
3. Oleg Molchanov, 52 years old, accused of creating an extremist group or participating in it, state treason, deliberately disabling a vehicle or communication routes, terrorist act. Arrested in March 2022. Court sentence: 21 years in prison.
4. Dmitry Ravich, 33 years old, accused of creating an extremist group or participating in it, state treason, deliberately disabling a vehicle or communication routes, terrorist act. Arrested in March 2022. Court sentence: 22 years in prison.
5. Denis Dikun, 29 years old, accused of creating an extremist group or participating in it, state treason, deliberately disabling a vehicle or communication routes, terrorist act. Arrested in March 2022. Court sentence: 23 years in prison.
6. Vladimir Avramtsev, 28 years old, accused of state treason, deliberately disabling a vehicle or communication routes, committing a terrorist act, creating an organization to carry out terrorist activities or participating in it. Arrested in March 2022. Court sentence: 22 years in prison.
7. Dmitry Klimov, 29 years old, accused of state treason, deliberately disabling a vehicle or communication routes, a terrorist act, creating an organization to carry out terrorist activities or participating in it, failure to report a crime. Arrested in March 2022. Court sentence: 22 years in prison.
8. Alesya Bunevich, 35 years old, accused of illegal crossing of the state border of the Republic of Belarus. Arrested in April 2022. Court sentence: 3.5 years in prison.
9. Sergey Pleshkun, 35 years old, accused of organizing and preparing actions grossly violating public order, desecrating buildings and damaging property, inciting hatred or enmity; accused of deliberately disabling a vehicle or communication routes, unlawful actions against objects whose action is based on the use of combustible substances; accused of a terrorist act, aiding and abetting extremist activities. Arrested in February 2022. Court sentence: 16 years in prison.
10. Yuriy Selvich, 47 years old, accused of organizing and preparing actions grossly violating public order, deliberately disabling a vehicle or communication routes, illegal actions regarding objects whose action is based on the use of combustible substances, accused of a terrorist act. Arrested in February 2022. Court sentence: 14 years in prison.
11. Aleksey Shishkovets, 43 years old, accused of a terrorist act; accused of participation or preparation of a citizen of the Republic of Belarus on the territory of a foreign state for military action without the permission of the state. Arrested in March 2022. Court sentence: 14 years in prison.
12. Sergey Glebko, 43 years old, accused of committing a terrorist act, deliberately disabling a vehicle or communication routes. Arrested in March 2022. Court sentence: 11 years in prison.
13. Sergey Konovalov, 49 years old, accused of a terrorist act; accused of inciting hatred or enmity. Arrested in March 2022. Court sentence: 15 years in prison.
14. Maksim Lopatin, 45 years old, is accused of committing a terrorist act. Arrested in March 2023. Not yet convicted.
15. Andrey Lopatin, accused of a terrorist act. Arrested in May 2023. Not yet convicted.
16. Dmitry Mostovoy, 47 years old, is accused of aiding extremist activities; accused of state treason. Arrested in February 2023. Court sentence: 10 years in prison.
17. For over two months, nothing is known about the fate of Belarusian Sergey Eremeev. He was detained by FSB officers in the Omsk region of Russia. Yeremeev is accused of carrying out two explosions on the Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM) on November 29 and 30, 2023. The FSB claims that he confessed to transporting eight explosive devices to Buryatia, and attaching them to tanker trucks.
Friends, let's remember that our solidarity is a powerful weapon against violence and lawlessness. Let's help political prisoners and their families with letters, kind words, and by spreading information about their difficult situation.
This is not someone else's war for us. It is an existential conflict between two closest neighbors. The worst part is that the current regime has dragged our country into this. Yes, Belarusian soldiers are not participating in combat operations. But Russian troops marched towards Kyiv from the territory of Belarus. Those who killed and tortured Ukrainians in Bucha were among them. Russian missiles flew to Ukraine from the direction of Belarus.
Official Minsk actively supports Russia in the war and makes derogatory statements against Ukrainians and Ukraine. But there is another side. In February 2022, Belarusians protested against the war. They came out to protest despite 1.5 years of ongoing repression, knowing they could end up behind bars. As a result, at least 1671 people were detained for anti-war protests. At least 94 of them have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from 1 year to 23 years.
Moreover, brave Belarusians resist this war as best they can, even at the cost of their fate and health. Let's remember the railway partisans who tried to stop trains carrying Russian military equipment and soldiers through Belarus.
Today, these heroes of Belarus are behind bars, serving huge sentences in inhumane conditions.
List of railway partisans:
1. Dmitry Medvedsky, 36 years old, accused of organizing and preparing actions grossly violating public order, insulting the President of the Republic of Belarus, deliberately disabling a vehicle or communication routes. Arrested in September 2022. Court sentence: 2.5 years in prison.
2. Vitaly Melnik, 40 years old, accused of illegal actions regarding firearms, ammunition, and explosives, insulting the President of the Republic of Belarus, deliberately disabling a vehicle or communication routes, as well as a terrorist act. Arrested in March 2022. Court sentence: 13 years in prison.
3. Oleg Molchanov, 52 years old, accused of creating an extremist group or participating in it, state treason, deliberately disabling a vehicle or communication routes, terrorist act. Arrested in March 2022. Court sentence: 21 years in prison.
4. Dmitry Ravich, 33 years old, accused of creating an extremist group or participating in it, state treason, deliberately disabling a vehicle or communication routes, terrorist act. Arrested in March 2022. Court sentence: 22 years in prison.
5. Denis Dikun, 29 years old, accused of creating an extremist group or participating in it, state treason, deliberately disabling a vehicle or communication routes, terrorist act. Arrested in March 2022. Court sentence: 23 years in prison.
6. Vladimir Avramtsev, 28 years old, accused of state treason, deliberately disabling a vehicle or communication routes, committing a terrorist act, creating an organization to carry out terrorist activities or participating in it. Arrested in March 2022. Court sentence: 22 years in prison.
7. Dmitry Klimov, 29 years old, accused of state treason, deliberately disabling a vehicle or communication routes, a terrorist act, creating an organization to carry out terrorist activities or participating in it, failure to report a crime. Arrested in March 2022. Court sentence: 22 years in prison.
8. Alesya Bunevich, 35 years old, accused of illegal crossing of the state border of the Republic of Belarus. Arrested in April 2022. Court sentence: 3.5 years in prison.
9. Sergey Pleshkun, 35 years old, accused of organizing and preparing actions grossly violating public order, desecrating buildings and damaging property, inciting hatred or enmity; accused of deliberately disabling a vehicle or communication routes, unlawful actions against objects whose action is based on the use of combustible substances; accused of a terrorist act, aiding and abetting extremist activities. Arrested in February 2022. Court sentence: 16 years in prison.
10. Yuriy Selvich, 47 years old, accused of organizing and preparing actions grossly violating public order, deliberately disabling a vehicle or communication routes, illegal actions regarding objects whose action is based on the use of combustible substances, accused of a terrorist act. Arrested in February 2022. Court sentence: 14 years in prison.
11. Aleksey Shishkovets, 43 years old, accused of a terrorist act; accused of participation or preparation of a citizen of the Republic of Belarus on the territory of a foreign state for military action without the permission of the state. Arrested in March 2022. Court sentence: 14 years in prison.
12. Sergey Glebko, 43 years old, accused of committing a terrorist act, deliberately disabling a vehicle or communication routes. Arrested in March 2022. Court sentence: 11 years in prison.
13. Sergey Konovalov, 49 years old, accused of a terrorist act; accused of inciting hatred or enmity. Arrested in March 2022. Court sentence: 15 years in prison.
14. Maksim Lopatin, 45 years old, is accused of committing a terrorist act. Arrested in March 2023. Not yet convicted.
15. Andrey Lopatin, accused of a terrorist act. Arrested in May 2023. Not yet convicted.
16. Dmitry Mostovoy, 47 years old, is accused of aiding extremist activities; accused of state treason. Arrested in February 2023. Court sentence: 10 years in prison.
17. For over two months, nothing is known about the fate of Belarusian Sergey Eremeev. He was detained by FSB officers in the Omsk region of Russia. Yeremeev is accused of carrying out two explosions on the Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM) on November 29 and 30, 2023. The FSB claims that he confessed to transporting eight explosive devices to Buryatia, and attaching them to tanker trucks.
Friends, let's remember that our solidarity is a powerful weapon against violence and lawlessness. Let's help political prisoners and their families with letters, kind words, and by spreading information about their difficult situation.
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