The organisation issued a statement condemning political repressions and supporting the will of Belarusian people. Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) is the largest global youth-led network dedicated to ending the War on Drugs. SSDP mobilizes and empowers young people to participate in the political process, pushing for sensible policies to achieve a safer and more just future.
On 2 November in Minsk around 25 people joined the “Cannabis Dziady” procession. Dziady is an ancient Slavic feast commemorating the dead ancestors. Protesters held empty photo frames with black ribbons and layed a funeral wreath to those killed by cannabis at the United Nations Square in the capital of Belarus.
In June 2019 the House of Representatives recognized excesses in the state drug policy. The lower limits of punishment for distribution of controlled substances have been reduced. However, the adopted amendments are clearly not enough to restore justice and implement a humane drug policy aimed at healthcare.
According to the Democracy Index compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit, Belarus is ranked 137th of 167 countries and is considered an authoritarian state. Alaksandar Łukašenka has been the country’s president since 1994, making him the longest-ruling president in Europe.
328 NGOs call for global leadership to halt global public health emergency and to end egregious human rights violations against people who use drugs.
How to reduce the harms of drugs? This question was used as the event title for a lecture series organized by Legalize Belarus, the only group in the country advocating for decriminalisation of drug use.
The film tells a story about the anti-drug law enforcement practice, prison conditions in the penitentiary institutions of Belarus, and everyday life challenges that former prisoners and people who use drugs face. To convey to the viewer the origins of stereotypes, numerous clips from the anti-drug videos of the USSR, Russia, and Belarus are used in the film.
Original lecture of Legalize Belarus on harm reduction by the "guy in orange jacket" was held on 17 March 2019 in Mahiloŭ.
Belarusian president Alaksandar Łukašenka instructed the government to develop a bill on amnesty in connection with the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus from the Nazi invaders. The corresponding instruction was given on 25 February 2019 at a meeting of the President with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Vialancin Sukała.
On 3 March Sunday evening around 25 people gathered for the meeting with Daniel George, Executive Director of FDP group in the City Council of Hagen.