The civic support event Freedom First. Go Belarus! is launching in Lithuania. Its main goal is to help the Belarusian people defend their legitimate right to freely create a democratic state starting now.
“We must help – not only because this is a fundamental question of Belarus’ survival, but also it is a matter of Lithuanian national security,” claims director Agnė Zalanskaitė who created the world’s first medical aid mission to the Maidan in 2014 and who is one of the founders of this new event.
Belarusians fighting on the front lines against the old regime are currently in need of financial aid for legal expenses (so that their relatives can, with the help of attorneys, find where and under what conditions their relatives are held), aid to cover the medical expenses of the injured, protective equipment, securing communications services and covering other organisational expenses.
“To act promptly and ensure maximum transparency and accountability, we already have selected a specific institution in Lithuania, which has a special account for collecting funds. We know exactly where the accumulated funds will go. We all understand that the situation is quite sensitive, various provocations are possible and so we already now know how it will be done,” A. Zalanskaitė says.
The Lithuanian people can add their contribution to the special account of the public institution Baryso Zvozskavo Baltarusijos Žmogaus Teisių Namai [Barys Zvozskau Belarusian Human Rights House]. This organisation has committed to providing daily information on the number of donors and the sums collected and will back this up with bank documentation. All the accumulated support will be transferred to the organisation BY HELP, which has been campaigning peacefully since 2017 for the fundamental principles of democracy and which has been offering support to individuals suffering in the regime.
A large number of high profile Lithuanian individuals, public and opinion leaders have joined the support event. Among them are car racer Benediktas Vanagas, theatre director Dalia Ibelhauptaitė, opera singer Merūnas Vitulskis, actress Adrija Čepaitė, priest Algirdas Toliatas, political scientist Vytis Jurkonis, artist and TV show host Nomeda Marčėnaitė, the leader of the band Antis Algirdas Kaušpėdas, journalist Rytis Zemkauskas, historian and teacher Mindaugas Nefas, event organiser Jogaila Morkūnas, publicist Donatas Puslys, priest Ričardas Doveika, poet Antanas A. Jonynas, cinema creator and producer Stasys Baltakis, editor-in-chief at the Lithuania Tribune and en.15min.lt news portals Ruslanas Iržikevičius, sports journalist and commentator Vaidas Čeponis, blogger Arvidas Bendorius (Geležinė Lapė), TV show creator Haroldas Mackevičius, chairman of the Lithuanian Union of Journalists Dainius Radevičius, philosopher Arūnas Gelūnas who is currently also the head of the Lithuanian Museum of Arts
You can submit a support donation to Belarus with these details:
VŠĮ „BARYSO ZVOZSKAVO BALTARUSIJOS ŽMOGAUS TEISIŲ NAMAI“
Sort code: 300577300
Account Nr. LT707300010127486672
Bank Swedbank
SWIFT code: HABALT 22
Find more information on www.gobelarus.lt or by calling +370 6 089 4457
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