Early Day Motions

BELARUS AND THE ICE HOCKEY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

EDM (Early Day Motion) 2694: tabled on 06 February 2012

Tabled in the 2010-12 session.

This motion has been signed by 13 Members. It has not yet had any amendments submitted.

As this motion is using historical data, we may not have the record of the original ordering, in which case signatories are listed alphabetically.

Motion text

That this House notes that in Belarus all theatre and art managers are appointed by the Ministry of Culture and approved by the head of state; understands that the Belarus Free Theatre is an underground theatre group that began in March 2005 as an artistic means of resisting Belarusian pressure and censorship; further notes that rehearsals and performances are normally held secretly in small private apartments due to the need for security and the risk of persecution; is appalled that audience members have been arrested, actors have been subject to death threats and intimidation and that company founders Nikolai Khalezin and Natalia Koliada have been arrested many times and imprisoned for organising and participating in civil resistance rallies; believes that the International Ice Hockey Federation plans to hold the 2014 Ice Hockey World Championships in Belarus; supports the campaign by human rights groups such as Free Belarus Now and its founder, Irina Bogdanova and prominent playwright Tom Stoppard amongst others to move the Championships out of Belarus; and calls on the Government to make representations to the Belarusian authorities to free all political prisoners and end the repression of the arts in Belarus.