Amnesty International collected signatures to support freedom of speech

A group of volunteers from Amnesty International Moldova (AIM) wearing strait jackets and “conscience prisoner” plates and with their lips stuck with adhesive tape, collected signatures on the Vadul lui Voda beach for supporting a Turkmen citizen who was hospitalized in a madhouse after he criticized the government of Turkmenistan. According to Evgheni Golosceapov, executive director of AIM, the volunteers managed to draw the attention of the people from the beach towards the problems that might occur in undemocratic countries because of lack of the freedom of speech. They collected 340 signatures in just one hour. The event was included in the agenda of the International Summer Camp which was organized during July 27-31 in Vadul lui Voda with the participation of 30 volunteers from Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus. The goal of the camp was to offer the young persons more information about human rights and their protection and about the activity of AIM and of other NGOs in this field.