“Deprivation of liberty will be a death sentence for me,” — these are the words of one of the Belarusian pensioners in the courtroom. “It would be better if they killed me in the deep forest,” relatives relay the words of another pensioner from the detention center.
Yes, there are many pensioners among political prisoners in Belarus, including those with disabilities. Without regard to age or health, people of retirement age are given prison terms, imposed exorbitant fines for their pensions, and completely deprived of the opportunity to work after release.
Protests in Belarus and tensions with the government emerged in Belarus long before 2020. But an unprecedented number of Belarusians were arrested as a result of mass protests of this very year. Belarusian pensioners, who were considered the main electorate of dictator Lukashenko, also held several peaceful actions, “Pensioners' Marches,” protesting against election fraud.
Human rights activists from Amnesty International have documented arbitrary arrests and ill-treatment of elderly people who took part in them.
The oldest political prisoner in Belarus today is 75 years old and has no relatives to support him in prison.
“My mom has joint problems from childhood, which have not gone away with age, but only worsened in damp cells, she also has hypertension, and after three months in pre-trial detention center she started having panic attacks. But the authorities don't care who they put in jail — a pensioner, a cancer patient, a person with disabilities,” confessed a relative of one of the political prisoners.
We all have the opportunity to help these people at liberty and in prison, as well as their families collecting expensive transfers! For this purpose we are launching this charity campaign and ask you to support it.
Amount needed: €10,000
The money raised will be used to help political prisoners pensioners as well as their relatives supporting them in prison. Please join us!