Belarusian activist serving labor sentence starts hunger strike
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 22 January 2015 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Belarusian activist serving labor sentence starts hunger strike, 22 January 2015, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/54e1a40415.html [accessed 5 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
January 22, 2015
By RFE/RL's Belarus Service
KUPLIN, Belarus – A Belarusian civil rights activist who is serving an 18-month mandatory labor sentence at a state-owned industrial facility says he is on a hunger strike.
Yury Rubtsou told RFE/RL that he started the hunger strike on January 22 to protest salary levels in Belarus, where the government recently announced that the average monthly salary is the equivalent of $600.
Rubtsou contested that figure, saying he believes the actual average is substantially lower.
Rubtsou is also calling for President Alyaksandr Lukashenka's government to release all "political prisoners" and to give its opponents at least one hour a day of airtime on the national television channel.
Rubtsou received the manual labor sentence last April for insulting a judge at hearing during which he was jailed for 25 days after attending an unsanctioned protest in a T-shirt that said, "Lukashenka, Go Away!"
Lukashenka has tolerated little dissent or political opposition in more than 20 years as president.
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
