Activist From Baranavichy: REP Trade Union Helps Ordinary People

Activists in Baranavichy are planning to hold a picket in support of the independent trade union.

Members of the Baranavichy branch of the Radio-Electronic Industry Workers trade union (REP) have filed an application to the municipal executive committee for holding a picket in the place in the Old Park, allowed by the authorities, Radio Racyja reports.

The picket is scheduled for May 30, at 1 to 2 p.m. The aim of the picket is to express solidarity with the leaders of the REP trade union, who are defendants in the criminal case; and to show protest against the pressure on their trade union, says head of the Baranavichy branch of the REP Ryhor Hryk:

- They have broken no law until now, and the authorities found some violations committed back in 2011. Why did not they arrest them then? They are persecuting the trade union because of its active participation in the actions against the decree on “parasites”. They are trying to eliminate all organizations rendering help to the people, and the trade union helps ordinary people a lot.

According to Ryhor Hryk, similar applications have been filed all around the country.

Important to note, leader of the independent trade union REP Henadz Fiadynich and the union’s accountant Ihar Komlik have been charged with tax evasion on a particularly large scale and are facing punishment in the form of up to 7 years of imprisonment.