Lithuanian trade unions will hold a picket outside the Belarusian Embassy in Vilnius in support of their arrested colleagues.
The move is aimed at protesting against the persecution of democratic Belarusian trade unions, the Confederation of Lithuanian Trade Unions says.
“This is an international action initiated by the International Trade Union Confederation,” the statement read.
On April 19, leaders of the Belarus Congress of Democratic Trade Unions were arrested. The group included President Alexander Yarashuk, Vice President Siarhei Antusevich, President of the Free Trade Union of Metal Workers Alexander Bukhvostau, president of the Free Trade Union of Belarus Mikalay Sharakh and others.
Maxim Pazniakov, chairman of the Belarusian Independent Trade Union of Miners and Chemical Workers, was arrested on May 13.
Some of them are still in custody, others’ fate is unknown, and only a few have been released.
Also, trade unions’ headquarters and the homes of trade union leaders in Minsk have been searched, and personal computers, bankcards, personal documents, SIM cards of foreign mobile phone operators and trade unions’ paraphernalia have been taken.
“The Belarusian security structures are believed to have taken this action after independent trade unions criticised the actions of Alexander Lukashenko and Vladimir Pootin in Ukraine,” the statement said. (LRT/Business World Magazine)
