Two Belarusian trade union leaders imprisoned by the country’s authoritarian regime because they spoke up working people have finally been freed – now the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) calls on the EU to secure the release of the 20 others still behind bars.
Aliaksandr Yarashuk, Chair of the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions (BKDP), and Hennadz Fiadynitch, former chairman of the Belarusian Radio and Electronics Industry Workers’ Union (REP), were among the 52 political prisoners released this week.
Yarashuk was among more than 30 union leaders who were detained in a crackdown on independent trade unions activities, which saw the BKDP and four of its affiliated unions dissolved, as trade unionists stood for democratic rights, freedoms and the interests of working people. He was detained in spring of 2022 and sentenced to 4 years in prison.
Fiadynitch faced years of harassment by Belarus’ KGB security services for carrying out legitimate trade union activity before being sentenced in 2023 to nine years in prison.
The Lukashenko regime has effectively outlawed independent trade unionism in the country. The ETUC has consistently pressed the European Union to do more to secure their release and end the violations of workers’ rights and freedoms.
ETUC General Secretary Esther Lynch said:
“The release of Aliaksandr and Hennadz is a cause for celebration for everyone who believes in human rights and the central role that trade unions have in upholding them around the world.
“I pay tribute to the bravery of Aliaksandr and Hennadz for having courageously spoken up for the interests of working people in the face of brutal persecution from an authoritarian regime.
“Aliaksandr and Hennadz should never have been imprisoned – trade unionism is not a crime. Yet there are still more than 20 trade union leaders and activists who are still wrong behind bars in Belarus. The European Union must now seize this moment to secure their release too.
“Independent trade unions, genuine social dialogue and collective bargaining are the pillars of any democracy and will be crucial to building a democratic, European future for Belarus.”
