BCDTU will seek harsh measures from international organizations against Belarusian authorities for pressure on the Free Metal Workers’ Trade Union and other trade unions

February 26, BPN. The Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions (BCDTU) is “deeply outraged and strongly protests” against “another gross and cynical violation of the rights” of independent trade unions, manifested in the detention of leaders of the Free Metal Workers’ Trade Union and the search in the Minsk office of the organization.

“We demand the immediate release of the illegally detained Free Metal Workers’ Trade Union’s activists Aliaksandr Jeŭdakimčyk and Ihar Komlik as well as the return of seized office equipment and cell phones,” reads the BCDTU statement. “We insist on bringing to justice those responsible for the search of the trade union office, the inviolability of which is guaranteed by the Constitution of the country and conventions of the International Labor Organization (ILO), ratified by Belarus.”

“The Executive Committee of the BCDTU will immediately inform the ILO and the International Trade Union Confederation about the latest blatant violation of trade union rights in the country. The Executive Committee intends to urge them to take tough action against the Belarusian government, that is consistently increasing pressure on the independent trade unions, continuing repression and reprisals against their leaders, activists and members,” noted the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions.

On February 24, Deputy Chair of the Free Metal Workers’ Trade Union Aliaksandr Jeŭdakimčyk and lawyer Ihar Komlik were detained after a search in the Minsk office of the organization. Communication was also lost with the chair of the trade union Aliaksandr Buchvostaŭ, 77.

In 2018, Komlik was sentenced to 4 years of restriction of freedom on charges of tax evasion. He was released in 2020.