A number of members of the National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum on September 9 protested in front of the Embassy of Belarus in Chisinau, demanding to set free their mates from Belarus - Irina Sukhiy, Andrey Yahorau and Stanislava Husakova – who were arrested during the August protests. The protesters carried placards with the words “Freedom for Belarus”, “We are for free elections”, “Stop genocide” and “Stop political repression in Belarus”, IPN reports.
Ina Coșeru, of the National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum, said they demand to release their colleagues who are members of the Platform and all the political prisoners arrested during the August-September protests against the Belarus presidential election outcome. They also demand free and fair elections in Belarus and sopping of genocide against civil society members. The National Platforms are the EU’s partners in implementing European reforms in the six EaP member states.
Platform representative Iuliana Cantaragiu said the people’s choice should be respected. If protests of such a scale like those in Belarus are mounted in the country, something is not good. She condemned the arrest of innocent persons by the Belarusian authorities.
The protesters noted the Moldovans citizens should make common cause with those from Belarus or the unpunished illegalities there can be reproduced in Moldova too.
The organizers said similar protests were held at the same hour by the National Platforms of the civil society of Georgia and Ukraine.
The National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum was created in 2011 and currently has 85 member organizations, six of which are umbrella organizations for another 255 organizations.
