This year, the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to a jailed human rights defender from Belarus, a country that has violated a number of core fundamental rights and freedoms for decades.
Education International firmly condemns attacks on free trade unions by
the authorities of Belarus as part of the long campaign to destroy democratic
forces. On 18 July, the Supreme Court liquidated and dissolved the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions (BKDP) along with its four member organisations, three of which are members of IndustriALL Global Union. In addition, fifteen leaders and union activists are in prison.
The regime in Belarus has dismantled the country's independent trade unions. IndustriALL and affiliates stand strong in defending them and democracy in the country.
Responding to the detention on Tuesday evening of 16 independent trade union leaders, at least seven of whom are being held incommunicado in an unknown location, Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, said: “The Belarusian authorities must immediately disclose the whereabouts of seven trade union leaders who were detained on […]