29 March 2024, Friday, 3:00
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We Will Defend Neither Kurapaty, Nor Belarus On Facebook

We Will Defend Neither Kurapaty, Nor Belarus On Facebook
YAUHEN AFNAHEL
PHOTO: RADIO SVABODA

We all must give it some thought.

Coordinator of the European Belarus civil campaign Yauhen Afnahel has commented on his detention on the eve of the prayer service at the Lukashenka administration, and also urged the Belarusians to defend Kurapaty more actively.

– They approached me in the city center at a bus stop of public transport literally 10-15 minutes before the prayer service for delivering Belarus from the evil. They asked if I had any documents and demanded to show what I had in the backpack, citing the fact that some kind of theft had been committed in the district. It was said mumblingly. After the search, we were just standing. I asked if I could go or if I was detained. They said “no, you can't”, and for about 30 minutes we were just standing next to the bus stop, they were talking with someone, and then they said that I was free.

– That is, they were waiting for the prayer to end.

– Yes, I think that was the reason.

– Have you seen how the event was held?

– The situation is really alarming. As in social networks, we have seen thousands of outraged comments of Belarusians about the demolition of crosses. Activists and hierarchs of all Christian churches, as well as well-known public and cultural figures spoke out in defense of Kurapaty. But at the same time, for some reason, not so many people come out to defend the crosses destroyed by power.

We all must to think about it and ask ourselves: what will we do in the near future? It is obvious that the authorities do not just destroy Kurapaty, but destroy the traditions of our people, our faith and memory. Following this, they will destroy the independence of the country. And each of us should ask ourselves the question: is he ready to defend the country, is he ready to take risks, to sacrifice something in order to live in a free and independent Belarus? As it is not the authority that destroys the crosses in Kurapaty, it is us who allow the authority to destroy the crosses.

– Svetlana Alexievich said that not hundreds, but hundreds of thousands of Belarusians should come out in defense of Kurapaty. Why do not our well-known cultural and scientific figures come out themselves to defend the people's memorial? After all, it would be the inspiration for many people, if they came out themselves.

– Certainly, they could inspire the Belarusians. But this question is better addressed to them. It is also worth asking many allegedly independent journalists (except for Charter-97, Radio Racyja, Belsat, and Novy Chas) why they are boycotting information about the public prayers and other events in support of Kurapaty? Also, the people, who have written hundreds of angry comments, should be asked why they do not protect the memorial. We will defend neither Kurapaty, nor Belarus on Facebook. You must defend the country not in the virtual space, but in the real one.

We remind that on April 4, authorities demolished crosses around the Kurapaty perimeter, the place of execution of victims of Stalin’s repressions. About 100 crosses were pulled down and taken away.

On April 12, authorities destroyed another 50 crosses in Kurapaty.

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