The Armenian National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum and a number of non-governmental organizations today are holding a protest in front of the Embassy of Belarus in Armenia with the demand for the release of three civil society representatives detained in Belarus from September 7-9, including three Belarusian public figures who are members of the Civil Society Forum (Irina Sukhiy, Andrej Jahorau and Stanislava Husakova).

The Armenian National Platform and the NGO representatives call on ending the violence and repression of the Belarusian police against civil society, young people and dissidents immediately and urge the Belarusian authorities to launch constructive dialogue with the members of the opposition.

“We demand that the Belarusian authorities immediately release citizens exercising their right to freedom of assembly and especially our colleagues who are members of the Civil Society Forum,” one of the protesters said, adding that the Civil Society Forum and NGOs are currently holding a silent protest and will take other steps depending on the Belarusian government’s actions.

“The representatives here are representatives of active civil society organizations. We stand with the Belarusian people, and we call on them to be strong and know that the Armenian people and particularly Armenian civil society support them,” another protester said, adding that the National Platforms of 6 member states to the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum are currently holding protests.

Belarus held presidential elections on August 9, after which the country’s Central Electoral Commission declared that incumbent President Aleksandr Lukashenko had won the elections. This led to protests that continue to this day. Members of the opposition and their supporters go out to the street and protest the results of the elections every day.