• Urgent Action

Urgent Action: HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER MUST BE RELEASED (Belarus: UA 97.22)

November 17, 2022

Belarusian human rights defender Nasta (Anastasia) Loika remains arbitrarily detained serving her fourth 15-day jail sentence since September. The authorities continue targeting Nasta Loika with fabricated charges in retaliation for her human rights work. There are serious concerns for her safety and wellbeing following reports that she has been subjected to torture or other ill-treatment. She must be immediately released.

TAKE ACTION:
  1. Please take action as-soon-as possible. This Urgent Action expires on January 10, 2023.
  2. Write a letter in your own words or using the sample below as a guide to one or both government officials listed. You can also email, fax, call or Tweet them.
  3. Click here to let us know the actions you took on Urgent Action 97.22. It’s important to report because we share the total number with the officials we are trying to persuade and the people we are trying to help.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Andrey Shved Prosecutor General of the Republic of Belarus Vul. Internatsianalnaya, 22 220030 Minsk, Belarus Email: [email protected] Twitter: @prokuraturaby
Charge d’Affaires Mr. Pavel Shidlovsky Embassy of Belarus 1619 New Hampshire Ave NW Washington, DC 20009 Phone: 202 986 9420 I Fax: 202 986 1805 Email: [email protected] Twitter: @BelarusEmbUSA

SAMPLE LETTER Dear Prosecutor General, I am extremely concerned about the renewed arbitrary detention of human rights defenders and educator Nasta (Anastasia) Loika and reports of torture and other ill-treatment. On 28 October, Nasta Loika was arbitrarily detained in Minsk and sentenced to 15 days in prison under fabricated charges of “petty hooliganism” (Article 19.1 of the Code of Administrative Offences). However, she was not released after serving her 15-day sentence but given an additional 15 days in jail for the same alleged offence. This is the fourth time since the beginning of September that Nasta Loika has been handed the same sentence for the same absurd charge, in what constitutes a clear pattern of harassment against a human rights defender. Importantly, during the last online hearing Nasta Loika reported being tortured with electric shock during questioning and left out in the cold without outerwear for eight hours. The prison authorities are also refusing to hand her parcels with warm clothes, personal hygiene items and medicines she urgently needs. Nasta Loika has committed no crime and is being relentlessly targeted by the authorities in retaliation for her human rights work. I urge you to do everything in your power to:
  • Ensure Nasta Loika’s immediate release, and end the misuse of the criminal justice system to target human rights defenders;
  • Ensure that Nasta Loika is not tortured or otherwise illtreated, and that she is treated in accordance with international human rights laws and standards.
Yours sincerely, [YOUR NAME] ADDITIONAL RESOURCES