Coordinating Council announces new members

February 8, BPN. The Belarusian opposition’s Coordinating Council for Political Crisis Settlement has announced its new line-up.

It consists of 15 original members, 73 new delegates from public organizations and 15 independent candidates.

Its members include Maryja Kaleśnikava, Viktar Babaryka’s jailed campaign manager; Pavieł Łatuška of the opposition’s cabinet; imprisoned lawyer Maksim Znak; Nobel prize-winning author Sviatłana Aleksijevič; and worker activist Siarhiej Dyleŭski.

Other members are Vital Rymašeŭski of the Belarusian Christian Democratic party, Aleś Michalevič of the banned Movement for Freedom as well as activists of the Belarusian Student Union (ZBS), Center for Belarusian Solidarity, environmental association Ecohome (Ekodom), the BYPOL association of former security forces and others.

About 70 opposition and civil society delegates convened for the first meeting of the renewed Council on January 26.

The Coordinating Council for Political Crisis Settlement was established in August 2020. Belarusian authorities have designated it an extremist group and opened criminal cases against its leaders, including those who fled abroad.