The fight for free unions in Belarus
On 16 February Dzmitry Shcharbina, an employee of the OJSC Belarusian Steelworks, was charged under Article 130 of the Belarusian Criminal Code: “Incitement of racial, national, religious or other social enmity or discord”. The basis of the charge is his alleged participation in protests in his workplace after the rigged presidential elections of 2020. Dzmitry faces up to five years in prison. A few days earlier three employees of Gazprom Transgaz Belarus were taken into detention. According to the Belarusian trade-union-rights organisation Salidarnast, they were then forced to sign statements...