Archbishop Martin Vidović, the Apostolic Nuncio of the Holy See to
Belarus, has refused to meet with relatives of persons imprisoned in the
KGB jail.
As charter97.org was informed, representatives of
“Release” civil initiative, which unites relatives of political
prisoners who are held in the KGB (State Security Committee) pre-trial
detention centre, were not able to meet with the papal nuncio.
Their
request to meet was refused without giving any reasons.
The families wanted to forward a letter to Pope
Benedict XVI with a request to assist in release of the presidential
candidates, activists and journalists, imprisoned after the peaceful
protes rally on December 19.
We offer the text of the letter:
To Most Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI
Relatives of arrested politicians, community
leaders and common citizens are sending a letter to Pope Benedict XVI
with a request to support them by prayer and to help in release on the
innocent.
Your Holiness, we are relatives of politicians,
community leaders and common citizens arrested on December 19 in Minsk.
We are turning to you for help.
The night of December 19-20 has become one of the
most terrible moments in the new history of Belarus.
More than 50,000
persons took to the streets in protest against the electoral fraud, but
the authorities used unprecedented crackdown measures, trying to
maintain power at whatever the cost.
Thousands of people were beaten up,
many of them were thrown to prisons.
Within one night which followed the election day,
more than 1,000 persons were beaten up and arrested.
Today these people
are in Belarusian prisons. 23 persons are incarcerated in the KGB (State
Security Committee) prison.
5 of them are presidential candidates, 3
are journalists, and the rest are campaign managers and electioneering
agents of the candidates.
They are charged with organising and
participation in mass riots and face up to 15 years in prison under the
Criminal Code.
Today these people have become hostages of the regime,
like the rest 9.5 million of Belarusians living in the country.
Today Belarus is enshrouded in darkness.
Arrests of
activists, raids and pogroms at independent websites and newspapers
offices, searches of apartments continue.
The authorities are
blackmailing the political prisoners using their little children.
We are seeking your help.
We ask you to support by your prayer those
Belarusians who are in trouble now, and to use all your influence for
the innocent to be released from prisons.
SIC: C97/INT'L