Opposition leader appeals for donations for female prisoners

March 1, Pozirk. Belarusian opposition leader Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja has promoted a charity fundraiser for female political prisoners and their families timed to International Women’s Day, March 8.

Launched by the BySol solidarity foundation together with the Association of Belarusian Business Abroad, the fundraiser has already collected €5,100 of the planned €10,000.

“Today, at least 180 Belarusian women are held behind bars for their political views and struggle for justice,” Cichanoŭskaja said on the Telegram messenger application, noting that mothers, seniors and sick women often face physical and mental torture at prisons.

“I do not know what each of these women feels, but I really want them to know that they are not alone, that they are remembered and supported,” she said.

“Unfortunately, there are few ways to help our political prisoners right now. Participation in a fundraiser is just one of them.”

As of March 1, Belarusian human rights groups identified at least 1,410 political prisoners but the real number is considerably higher because many cases go undocumented. Opposition sources estimate the number of political prisoners at around 5,000.