Tsikhanouskaya highlights imprisoned trade union activist Vatslau Areshka in Dublin
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya spoke at the opening of the conference *Ireland–Belarus: National and Cultural Identities*, which is taking place in Dublin. On the folder she carried at the event was a portrait of political prisoner Vatslau Areshka, an activist of the independent REP trade union.
This is not the first time Tsikhanouskaya has used her working folder to draw attention to Belarusian political prisoners during international meetings: their photographs regularly appear on it.
The Dublin conference was organised by Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the United Transitional Cabinet and the Office of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya as part of Ireland’s presidency of the Council of the EU. Participants are discussing the national and cultural identities of Belarus and Ireland, as well as the preservation of language, culture and historical memory.
Tsikhanouskaya later posted separately about Vatslau Areshka on her social media accounts.
The 71-year-old political scientist, cultural expert and activist of the independent REP trade union was detained in April 2022 during the mass crackdown on independent trade unions. In January 2023, he was sentenced to eight years in prison. Areshka is currently being held in Penal Colony No. 22 near Ivatsevichy.
His eyesight has deteriorated sharply in prison. According to the latest reports from human rights defenders, Areshka has completely lost his sight. He is now largely unable to read or write independently and needs help from other prisoners to move around. Despite his age and state of health, Vatslau Areshka remains behind bars.
The appearance of the trade union activist’s portrait at the international conference in Dublin served as another reminder of those who remain imprisoned in Belarus.
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