The recent arrest of Aliaksandr Yarashuk, President of the Congress of Democratic Trade Unions of Belarus (BKDP) and former IUF Executive Committee member, along with approximately 20 other trade union leaders is a further step towards total dictatorship in Belarus, a regime closely aligned with Putin.
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- Since August 2020, the repression of trade unionists and civil society activists in Belarus has continued with more than 1,200 people jailed for their public disagreement with rigged elections or participation in peaceful rallies and strikes
- Lizaveta Merliak, International Secretary of the IUF affiliate BITU was once again detained and interrogated
- ILO Director-General Guy Ryder has expressed deep concern over reports of the arrests of trade union leaders in Belarus and has called for a halt to the intimidation of those peacefully exercising their freedom of association rights in the country
Sue Longley, IUF General Secretary, stated: “The IUF denounces this new attempt to crack down on independent trade unions. We join the international community in demanding an immediate end to the violence and the restoration of democratic rights and freedoms in Belarus.”
