European non-governmental organizations join their Ukrainian colleagues in demanding the immediate release of Konstantin Reutski and Yevgeni Vasilyev, detained during the protests in Minsk on August 12. In particular, the statement was signed by the  German NGOs DRA and Memorial Deutschland, French organizations European Civil Assembly (AEC) and International Federation for Human Rights FIDH, Polish Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, the Russian organization Don Women, Norwegian Helsinki Committee.

“We call on the governments of the EU Member States and international organizations to do their utmost to release the Ukrainian human rights defenders detained in Minsk, as well as to use all possible resources to stop violence and massive human rights violations in Belarus. Civil society in Europe is now united in supporting the arrested citizens and strongly condemning illegal actions in Belarus,” said the head of the DRA, Stefan Melle.

Human rights activists Konstantin Reutski and Yevgeni Vasiliev were detained on August 12th near Pobeda Square in Minsk. Traffic police officers used brutal and unjustified force against the Ukrainian human rights defenders, the detention appeared on witnesses’ video. Now the whereabouts of Yevgeni and Konstantin are unknown, there is no connection with them.

The statement in support of Konstantin Reutski and Yevgeni Vasilyev is available for signature. You can leave a signature and get more information from Yulia Krasilnikova at [email protected].