Electronic union leaders get lengthy prison terms

January 5, BPN. The Minsk City Court has sentenced Hienadź Fiadynič, leader of the outlawed Belarusian Trade Union of Electronic Industry Workers (REP), to nine years in prison, gazetaby reported.

Judge Anastasija Papko has also sentenced REP’s acting Chair Vasil Bierasnieŭ to nine years in prison and activist Viačasłaŭ (Vacłaŭ) Areška, to eight years.

Authorities accused trade union leaders of inciting hatred, calling for sanctions and creating and running an extremist group.

A wave of arrests of independent trade union activists swept across Belarus on April 18 and 19. Prior to that, authorities blacklisted the electronic union as an extremist group. Human rights organizations consider the arrested trade union leaders political prisoners.

In July, the Supreme Court ruled to shut down all Belarusian independent trade unions as well as their umbrella organization, the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions.

International trade union confederations condemned the crackdown and urged authorities to immediately restore workers’ right to freedom of association.