Open letter regarding persecution of Artsiom Bayarski

Address to Belorussian law enforcement

Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) expresses its deep concern regarding the persecution of the member of its academic community, Artsiom Bayarski, a first-year student of Biotechnology at the Faculty of Natural Sciences.

VMU student Artsiom Bayarski was arrested by the police on March 24 2021, and charged under Part 1 of Art. 361-1 of the Criminal Code (creation of an extremist formation) and Part 1 of Art. 342 (organization of group actions in serious breach of public order).

 The community of Vytautas Magnus University closely observes the course of the case and is concerned regarding the signs of physical and psychological abuse, and invites the persecution and court to conduct the case in a fairly and impartial way. We hereby request the court to free Artsiom Bayarski and thus create him conditions to study. Currently this VMU student is forced to take the academic leave, because due to his arrest, he does not have an opportunity to come and study in Lithuania.

We would like to remind you that this promising future scholar received four scholarships for talented youth from the special fund of the President of Belarus for his victories in School Olympiads of various subjects.

The community of Vytautas Magnus University openly declares and strongly adheres to its values, promoting democracy, free choice, and development of academic competences, and thus invites all like-minded people to support Artsiom’s right to freedom and higher education.

On behalf of the community of Vytautas Magnus University,

Professor Juozas Augutis