Demonstrations all over Belarus have now been going on for a month. Belarusians across the country are standing up for their rights and demanding justice in peaceful protests. Since the rigged elections of president Lukashenko, which started the demonstrations, tens of thousands of citizens have been demonstrating in the streets to show their displeasure with the regime.
The fundamental freedoms and rights of the citizens of Belarus are under heavy and extensive oppression. The regime is arbitrarily detaining and arresting members of civil society, including students, for using their right to protest.
With a great disturbance and outrage, the Students' Unions across Europe note that the student activists are being summoned for interrogations to the Department for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption. Furthermore, administrations of universities are either staying silent or calling riot police into the universities while students are demanding a peaceful dialogue with them.
As members of the European Higher Education Area, the state of Belarus committed to introduce structural educational reforms and tools based on the values freedom of expression, autonomy for institutions, independent student unions and academic freedom. What we see in Belarus now is a violation of this agreement.
SFS stands in solidarity with the students and youth of Belarus, the student organizations; the Belarusian Students' Association (BSA) and the Brotherhood of Organizers of Student Self-Government (BOSS). We signed the demands from The European Students' Union together with BSA and the BOSS:
- Demand the Belarusian Ministry of Internal Affairs to free all detained students immediately and stop the use of riot police, brutality and detention of peaceful protesters.
- Condemn the ignorance and complicity of university management who allow police surveillance and brutality towards students inside the university walls.
- Demand justice for victims of police brutality and persecution.
- Call upon the European Higher Education Area to use all the international pressure on the Ministry of Education in Belarus in order to ensure the rights of Belarusian students are protected.
Simon Edström, President of SFS
Linn Svärd, Vice President of SFS