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Laima Andrikienė: ‘We stand in solidarity with the Lithuanian Medical Movement and call on the Belarusian authorities to end the persecution of doctor Artsyom Sarokin and journalist Katsiaryna Barysevich’

Press release, 23 February 2021

 

In response to the Statement on the Situation in Belarus disseminated by the Lithuanian Medical Movement on 20 February 2021, Laima Andrikienė, Member of the Seimas and Vice-President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, expressed her solidarity with the medical doctors and urged the prosecutors of Belarus to immediately withdraw unfounded charges against doctor Artsyom Sarokin and journalist Katsiaryna Barysevich.

 

‘I express my solidarity with the Lithuanian Medical Movement and urge the prosecutors of Belarus to immediately drop unfounded charges against doctor Artsyom Sarokin and journalist Katsiaryna Barysevich and to end the criminal proceedings against them. The trial staged against these purely innocent people in Minsk these days make a mockery of justice,’ Ms Andrikienė said.

 

According to Ms Andrikienė, members of the Medical Movement have addressed the Lithuanian leadership and the Seimas, the Lithuanian Union of Journalists and non-governmental organisations, drawing their attention to the journalists who have been targeted and persecuted by the Alexander Lukashenko regime for merely fulfilling their primary duty of collecting and spreading information, in order to provide objective coverage of events. Alongside with journalist Barysevich, Belarusian doctor Sarokin is to stand trial this week, even though he has just been honestly performing his duties by saving a person’s life and defending his honour and dignity.

 

Ms Andrikienė supports the stance of the Lithuanian medical doctors that criminal cases against the defendants must be terminated because ‘the doctor’s action was lawful and did not entail any violation of the patient’s rights or danger to the patient’s life. Meanwhile, the journalist has just provided accurate information in her article.’

 

Journalist K. Barysevich is on trial for having the courage to deny the lies spread by the government that Raman Bandarenka, who did not survive the violence used against him by the special forces of the regime, was allegedly under the influence of alcohol and died as a result of injuries received in fights. On the basis of the testimony of Artsyom Sarokin, K. Barysevich disclosed that no alcohol had been actually found in Bandarenka’s blood.

 

Opened in Minsk on 19 February and continuing this week, the trial takes place behind closed doors. This was requested by the prosecutor, even though the accused, their lawyers, and the relatives of the deceased R. Bandarenka were asking for an open trial. Foreign diplomats who have expressed their wish to observe the trial have also been denied access to the court proceedings.

 

Aldona Drėgvaitė, Adviser to Dr Laima Liucija Andrikienė, Member of the Seimas, e-mail: [email protected]

   Last updated on 04/13/2021 13:40
   Monika Kutkaitytė