Arr mateys! Belarus be punishin' a rock band with hard labor for bein' rebellious scallywags! Aye, walk the plank!
2024-04-12
Arrr, the scurvy Belarusian scallywags 'ave caught themselves a famous band o' rebels! They be sentencin' the lads to two years o' labor. 'Tis a right shame, but not unexpected in this era o' crackdowns on dissent. Let's hope they can still sing a shanty or two while they be toiling away! Arrr!
Arr, me hearties, in the land of Estonia, the Belarusian authorities be convictin' a famous dissident rock band, callin' 'em extremists and sendin' 'em to two years of correctional labor. The Nizkiz band members, Alyaksandr Ilyin, Siarhei Kulsha, and Dzmitry Khalyaukin, be charged with violatin' public order.Back in 2020, when the protests be ragin' in Belarus after President Alexander Lukashenko claimed victory in a disputed election, the band released a song called "Rules," which became the anthem of the protests. The government responded with a brutal crackdown, arrestin' thousands and labelin' many as extremists.Not only were the musicians sentenced, but they were also labeled as extremists, bannin' their songs and puttin' their fans at risk of prosecution. The band, founded in Mogilev in 2008, has been behind bars since January 2024.The Viasna human rights center declared the musicians political prisoners, joinin' over 1,300 others in Belarus. Opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya called on musicians worldwide to stand in solidarity with their Belarusian colleagues.She condemned the regime's attack on freedom of expression, sayin' the arrest of Nizkiz members was yet another shameful act of revenge. The fight for freedom in Belarus continues, with music as its weapon against tyranny. Arr!