A Cage Symbolizing The Belarusian Prison Was Put In The Center Of Warsaw
- 10.08.2025, 9:37
The action was organized by Amnesty International human rights activists.
Amnesty International together with Belarusian human rights activists and former political prisoners staged an action to remind Poles about repression in Belarus, reports "Belsat".
A cage symbolizing the Belarusian prison appeared in the center of Warsaw on August 9. In the cage and around it are people who talk about repression in Belarus. The action was held by Amnesty International human rights activists together with Belarusian human rights activists and former political prisoners.
The representative of the Polish branch of Amnesty International Joanna Zawada (Joanna Zawada) told "Belsat" that the action wanted to remind people in Warsaw that not so far away, in Belarus, thousands of people are held in captivity for their beliefs. The activists want people in Warsaw to learn about Marfa Rabkova, Anastasia Lojko, Maria Kolesnikova, Andrzej Poczobut and other political prisoners, share information about them, sign the petition and donate money to support political prisoners in Belarus.
"For me, solidarity is a very important value," Zawada explains. -The fact that I was born here, in such a family, at such a time, does not remove my responsibility for what is happening elsewhere, for people who are a little less fortunate to be born elsewhere."
Director of Amnesty International Polska Anna Blaszczak-Banasiak told "Belsat": the activists first of all want the names of political prisoners in Belarus not to be forgotten, because when the names are heard, it's easier to get people out of prison. And for Poles to remember what is happening in Belarus and what it threatens people who disagree with the regime.
"It may seem strange, even grotesque, that one can be imprisoned for posts on social networks, or even for a small donation to a non-governmental organization, or for a public statement that has not been approved by the state authorities," she says. - These are things that seem commonplace to us in Poland. We use social networks every day, we cooperate with non-governmental organizations every day and often speak publicly. In Belarus, because of this, even for a minor criticism of the authorities, they can put you in jail."
Andrei Chapiuk, a former political prisoner and volunteer of "Viasna" Andrei Chapiuk tells "Belsat" that such actions make sense, as outside of Belarus, not everyone understands the Belarusian reality, the scale of pressure on political prisoners and their relatives, the scale of the need for assistance, and the focus of attention shifts from the situation in Belarus to other news. Representative of "Viasna" Yana Galagan notes that five years since the protests in 2020 is a long time, so people need to be reminded that "everything is still going on, it's getting worse, gaining more and more violent momentum."
According to Yana Galagan, both residents of Warsaw and tourists were interested in the action: why is there a cage, why is there a person in it? In this way it manages to remind people that "nothing is forgotten, nothing has passed," while Alexander Lukashenko continues to destroy Belarusians in Belarus and threaten them even outside Belarus.