Killing in Belarus sparks outrage
KIEV, Ukraine — Thousands of people rallied in Belarus on Friday following the death of a 31year- old opposition supporter who reportedly was beaten by security forces, and the European Union condemned the violent crackdown that Belarusian authorities have continued to enforce against peaceful protesters.
The man’s death on Thursday came after more than three months of mass anti- government protests thatwere sparked by official election results that gave authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko a sixth term in office. Opposition leaders and some poll workers say the results were manipulated, and protesters have been calling for Lukashenko’s resignation.
More than 17,000 people have been detained — thousands of them brutally beaten — since the Aug. 9 presidential election in Belarus, human rights advocates have reported.
Thousands of people carrying flowers and candles formed human chains of solidarity in several Belarus cities, including the capital, Minsk, to honor the late opposition supporter, Raman Bandarenka, who died at a Minsk hospital after several hours of surgery for serious injuries.
Some of the banners the demonstrators held said, “Stop killing us.”
Bandarenka was detained in a Minsk courtyard on Wednesday by unidentified men, “most likely, plainclothes policemen,” leader of the Viasna human rights center Ales Bialiatski said. They handed him over to police officers and Bandarenka was brutally beaten inside a van, Bialiatski said in a statement.
“As a result, Raman sustained a severe head injury and in grave condition was brought to the police (department). An ambulance wasn’t called for two more hours. The doctors were unable to save Raman Bandarenka’s life,” Bialiatski said, calling for a criminal investigation to hold those responsible for Bandarenka’s death accountable.
Belarusian authorities have confirmed that Bandarenka was brought to the hospital from a police department in Minsk but denied responsibility for his death. Police maintained hewas injured in a street fight. Belarus’ Investigative Committee said Bandarenka also displayed signs of “alcohol intoxication.” An inquiry has been launched.
Bandarenka’s death elicited outrage both in Belarus and abroad. The European Union condemned the violence.
“This is an outrageous and shameful result of the actions by the Belarusian authorities, who have not only directly and violently carried out repression of their own population, but also created an environment whereby such lawless, violent acts can take place,” Peter Stano, the EU’s spokesman for foreign affairs and security policy, said in a statement.
The EU already has imposed sanctions on Lukashenko and several dozen officials over their role in the security crackdown launched after the contested election. Stano said Friday that the 27-nation bloc “stands ready to impose additional sanctions.”
Opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who challenged Lukashenko in August’s presidential election and received the second-most votes, called Bandarenka “a hero” and “an innocent victim of an inhumane system.”
“The man was killed because he wanted to live in a free country,” Tsikhnaouskaya, who is currently in exile in Lithuania, said in a video statement Friday. “But we will never obey those who are ready to kill us.”
In an interview with state media Friday, Lukashenko offered condolences to Bandarenka’s parents and said he told the head of the Investigative Committee that the death needs to be “fairly and objectively” investigated.