published on 25.11.21: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Urgent Appeal in PDF & JPEG fomat for downloading
Dear friends from the global women’s movement, human rights groups, politicians, community activists and public figures!
The women of Belarus have first-hand experience of violence. For over 27 years we have had to put up with an abuser in our house who has been using his regime to torture our families and us. Just like any other abuser Lukashenka refuses to take “no” for an answer and keeps trying to convince us that it is us who is to blame and that we deserve torture and beatings.
Lukashenka turned violence into his official ideology and deliberately targets physical and psychological vulnerability of women by placing them in inhuman detention conditions, by taking away their children and by destroying their lives. Repressions against women bring to a halt whole sectors where women make up the majority of the workforce: education, healthcare, social services and media.
Belarus has a womanly face. Lukashenka deeply hates Belarusian women and like many other tyrants, when losing their grip on power, he will stop at nothing.
And we must put an end to this!
The global movement to end violence against women cannot succeed while more than 4 million women are being held hostage by an abusive and torturing dictator in the centre of Europe.
Their release is our ultimate priority. In this regard, we, representing the women of Belarus, call to:
- immediately and unconditionally release of POLITICAL PRISONERS in Belarus and drop all criminal and administrative charges against them;
- stop criminal and administrative prosecution of all unlawfully detained women, politicians, pro-democracy activists, bloggers, those who want to make a better life in our country and those who have suffered badly after peaceful demonstrations in support of their rights;
- to bring to justice Lukashenka and everyone responsible for horrific crimes in Belarus.
How can you help?
I. Please share this Urgent Appeal on your social media and/or on your web pages.
II. Please record a video message #FreeBelarusWomen as a sign of solidarity with the brave women of Belarus.
This can be a short video address (approx. 1-2 min long) calling for:
- an immediate and unconditional release of ALL FEMALE POLITICAL PRISONERS in Belarus
- dropping criminal and administrative prosecution of all unlawfully detained women
- support the Belarus Women's Foundation’s claim to the International Criminal Court in The Hague against Lukashenko for crimes against humanity.
Technical requirements: horizontal orientation, facing the camera, at the beginning of your speech count to three, then start speaking. At the end of the speech count to three again and then stop filming, the length of the video should be approx. 2 min. Please send your recoridng to: contact@belaruswomen.org and/or via our chat bot @BWF_stories_bot
III. Please join our campaigns to help women political prisoners and their children
We need your support! Our victory will bring all of us closer towards a peaceful and democratic future free from dictatorships and wars.
Please help us free these women! Your actions make a real difference!
Thank you in advance for your support.
Zhivye Belarus! Vive Belarus!
In solidarity,
Belarus Women’s Foundation
Please help us free belarusian women being held hostage
by a dictator Lukashenka!
14.12.21: Stefania Prezioso Batou, National Council member | The Federal Assembly — The Swiss Parliament, joined the BWF campaign #FreeBelarusWomen:
published: FB, Twitter, Instagram, Telegram
- an immediate and unconditional release of POLITICAL PRISONERS in Belarus and drop all criminal and administrative charges against them
- dropping criminal and administrative prosecution of all unlawfully detained
- support the Belarus Women's Foundation’s claim to the IСС in The Hague against Lukashenko for crimes against humanity
Ms. Stefania Prezioso is also a godparent of a political prisoner KASTSIUHOVA Valeryia | #WeStandBYyou Libereco
We would like to express our gratitude and thank Ms. Stefania Prezioso for her support and solidarity!
10.12.21: Ms. Gabriela Morawska-Stanecka Vice-Marshal of the Senate of the Republic of Poland joined the BWF campaign #FreeBelarusWomen
Facebook: "...I am symbolically joining the appeal of Belarus Women's Foundation. It is a non-governmental organization that fights against the repressions of women committed by Lukashenka’s regime and is trying to unite the international Community against dictatorship, fighting for the release of Belarusian political prisoners. In its statement, the Foundation calls for a solution to the humanitarian crisis, which is currently developing in Belarus as a result of the regime."
- an immediate and unconditional release of ALL FEMALE POLITICAL PRISONERS in Belarus
-dropping criminal and administrative prosecution of all unlawfully detained women
- support the Belarus Women's Foundation’s claim to the International Criminal Court in The Hague against Lukashenko for crimes against humanity
Ms. Gabriela Morawska-Stanecka is also a godparent of a political prisoner BORYS Andzelika #WeStandBYyou
We are deeply grateful to Ms. Morawska-Stanecka
for her engagement and solidarity!
09.12.21: VIDEO APPEAL by Ms. Isabel Santos, member of EU-Parliament, Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, Partido Socialista (Portugal). Ms. Santos joined the BWF campaign #FreeBelarusWomen and calls for an immediate and unconditional release of ALL FEMALE POLITICAL PRISONERS in Belarus and lends her support to our claim to the ICC in the Hague against Lukashenko for his crimes against humanity. She says: “I will continue to raise this in the European Parliament and to defend the rights of all those who fight for freedom and democracy!”
Ms. Isabel Santos is also a godparent of a political prisoner Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk #WeStandBYyou Libereco
We are deeply grateful to Ms. Isabel Santos
for her personal involment and solidarity!
Together we shall prevail!
03.12.21: Video by BWF: "TORTURE in Belarus. Women, torture victims, testifying" published: FB, Twitter, Instagram, Telegram