REPRESSION IN BELARUS…

On 19 December 2010, up to a thousand men and women were arrested and jailed in Minsk, Belarus, in a violent dispersal of the protest against the latest presidential elections of Belarus. President Lukashenko, in power since 1994, was re-elected with almost 80% in the vote which international monitors, such as the OSCE, criticized as flawed. Among the arrested was Natalya Kolyada, Director of Belarus Free Theatre, who has been using the stage to fight for freedom of expression and democracy over the last 6 years. The company is touring worldwide with huge success, but are under constant harassment by the Belarusian authorities, as is their audience. Natalya Kolyada was released on bail after 14 hours and shortly after told the News agency Reuters that "They (the KGB) are cleansing the city." She also spoke to Index on Censorship on Monday afternoon, about the conditions in the jail. During her detention she was not allowed water, food or sleep. Those detained had to stay standing in freezing prison corridors and were fingerprinted and filmed. The Trans Europe Halles Executive Committe has decided to start a solidarity fund that will try to offer support to the Free Theatre Belarus to enable them to continue their work and to fight for freedom and justice in Belarus.