"Authorities Afraid Of New Wave Of Protests"

After the blocking of Charter97.org, Lukashenka's regime does not have a chance to get "legalized" in the West.

Reader from Vorsha Mikhail has written this to Charter97.org:

– The websites of independent media and organizations have been attacked recently. Charter-97 has been blocked, the REP trade union website has been hacked. Before that the site of the Belarusian National Congress and Belarusian Partisan were blocked. It is noteworthy that immediately after the blocking of Charter97.org, the new decree on "parasites" was issued. Obviously, these events are linked. The authorities are afraid of a new wave of protests.

The REP trade union site was hacked not for nothing. This independent trade union has published dozens of stories about people who were condemned unfairly and illegally, fined, fired, demoted. In addition, the authorities initiated a politically motivated criminal case against its chairman Hennadz Fiadynich and accountant Ihar Komlik. This proves to all the amateurs to talk about Lukashenka regime’s "liberalization" the opposite. The authorities are not going to stop the persecution of independent trade unions, and independent websites are a burr in the authorities' saddle.

It is difficult to overestimate the role of independent media. Independent websites open people's eyes to what's happening in Belarus.

The blocking of independent sites threatens the authorities with a yet greater decrease of the already insignificant people’s support. Only a blind man cannot see that Belarus is close to some countries in Africa and Asia in terms of economic development. Belarus is one of the poorest countries in Europe.

Also, the "elections", which have not been recognized by international observers for a number of violations and falsifications, will certainly not be recognized in case the independent websites are blocked. In case of further blocking and pressure on independent media, Lukashenka will not have a chance to "legalize" his actions.

I would like to wish the Charter97.org editorial board moral and physical strength for further struggle. Nail the corruption, officials and police lawlessness to the wall! Belarus must become free.