Opposition leader demands release of trade unionists on arrest anniversary

April 19, BPN. Belarusian opposition leader Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja has demanded the release of all arrested independent trade unionists after they had spent one year in custody.  

“A year ago today, Belarus trade union leader Alaksandr Jarašuk and his deputy, Siarhiej Antusievič, were arrested,” she tweeted. “More than 30 other trade unionists have been arrested for defending workers’ rights. They must all be released.”

Jarašuk, Antusievič, and Iryna But-Husaim, accountant of the outlawed Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions (BCDTU), remain in custody since April 19, 2022, when a wave of arrests of independent trade union activists swept across Belarus.

In July 2022, the Supreme Court ruled to shut down all Belarusian independent trade unions as well as their umbrella organization, the BCDTU.

In December 2022, authorities sentenced Jarašuk to four years in prison, Antusievič to two, and But-Husaim, to 18 months on charges of participating in protests. Jarašuk was also found guilty of calling for sanctions.

The International Labor Organization (ILO) said it may consider sanctions under Article 33 of the ILO Charter in response to the persecution of workers in Belarus and constant violations of their rights.

On March 16, the ILO listed potential measures to secure compliance of Belarusian authorities with its recommendations. These include suggestions to governments, employers and employees to review their relations with Belarusian authorities and take measures to ensure that such relations cannot be used to violate workers’ rights to freedom of association.

The ILO may also inform international organizations, including the UN, of Belarus’ non-compliance, urge their leadership to reconsider cooperation with Minsk and terminate any activity that could directly or indirectly justify the failure to address the non-compliance with trade union rights.