Małgorzata Gosiewska: New Sentence Imposed On Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk Jeopardizes Her Life
- 18.10.2024, 12:38
The chair of the European Parliament’s Delegation for relations with Belarus demanded the release of the political prisoner.
The chair of the European Parliament’s Delegation for relations with Belarus, MEP from Poland Małgorzata Gosiewska condemned the sentence imposed on political prisoner and European Belarus activist Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk. The website Charter97.org gives a translation of the statement.
“We strongly condemn the additional one-year prison sentence imposed on political prisoner and union activist Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk, on the charge of “deliberate disregard of penitentiary administration's demands”.
Palina Sharenda was arrested in 2021 during a widespread, brutal crackdown by the Belarusian regime on peaceful protesters and their supporters following the fraudulent 2020 presidential elections. She was due to be released on 23 May 2024, having spent 2.5 years in jail. However, her sentence has already been extended twice by the same judge, Stanislau Ivaniuchenka.
The decision to begin the trial against Palina Sharenda, a mother of two young children, on 14 October — Belarusian Mother's Day — demonstrates the absolute cynicism of the Belarusian regime and its complete disregard for political opponents and dissenting voices.
We express serious concerns about the inhumane conditions in which Palina Sharenda is being held, including isolation with no mattresses or bed linen. Her health is extremely worrying: several months ago, she was diagnosed with severe pancreatitis and chronic back pain. Another year in prison seriously jeopardizes her survival and recovery.
We stand in solidarity with more than 50,000 people (according to the data of the human rights center “Viasna”) and their families who have been illegally arrested by the Belarusian regime since August 2020, according to the Belarusian human rights centre Vyasna. We particularly express solidarity with those who remain unlawfully detained in Belarusian prisons under appalling conditions, exposed to torture and ill-treatment, denied access to medical care, and deprived of basic necessities such as food, water, sleep, and hygiene.
We urge the EU and its Member States to continue pushing for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners in Belarusian prisons and to provide support to their families and those who have been released. To that end, we remain committed to working tirelessly with representatives of democratic forces, civil society, and independent media, for the benefit of the people of Belarus.”