{"id":209739,"date":"2026-10-30T12:53:16","date_gmt":"2026-10-30T09:53:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/209739\/"},"modified":"2026-10-30T12:53:18","modified_gmt":"2026-10-30T09:53:18","slug":"iranian-opposition-activists-join-commemorative-ceremony-held-by-belarusians-in-yerevan","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/209739\/","title":{"rendered":"Iranian opposition activists join commemorative ceremony held by Belarusians in Yerevan"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n (Belarusians AM)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

October 30, Pozirk.<\/em> <\/strong>Iranian pro-democracy activists joined a ceremony held in Yerevan, Armenia, on Thursday to commemorate the members of Belarus\u2019 intellectual elite executed in Minsk on the night between October 29 and 30, 1937 by Josef Stalin\u2019s secret police.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organized by the Union of Belarusians of Armenia (Belarusians AM), the event marking the so-called Night of the Executed Poets took place near a monument to the Armenian poet, prose writer, and translator Yeghishe Charents (Soghomonyan), who died in prison in November 1937 at the age of 40, four months after his arrest on charges of \u201cnationalism, terrorism, Trotskyism, and counterrevolution.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Participants, who included Le\u016d Michieje\u016d, the Belarusian activist who was arrested in Georgia last month and expelled to Armenia after the rejection of his asylum application, laid flowers at the monument and recited poems by executed Belarusian authors Valeryj Marako\u016d, Jurka Lavonny and Ale\u015b Dudar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One speaker drew parallels between the Stalinist terror and political purges in modern-day Belarus. Authorities are forcing intellectuals out of the country, although without executing them for now, the speaker said, blaming the ongoing repression on the country\u2019s failure to denounce Communist crimes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Iranian activists, who campaign against the Ayatollah regime in their country, displayed a sign in solidarity with the Belarusian people and laid flowers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n (Belarusians AM)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are sincerely grateful to our Iranian friends for solidarity and support,\u201d Belarusians AM said in a media post. \u201cOur joint struggle against repression and authoritarianism shows how strong the ties between nations seeking freedom and justice can be.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Commemorative ceremonies, theater performances, poetry readings and other events are annually held across Europe and in democratic countries around the world at the end of October to commemorate the victims of the October 1937 massacre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking at an evening organized by Belarusians in Tallin, Estonia, on October 29, Belarusian pro-democracy leader \u015aviat\u0142ana Cichano\u016dskaja stressed that it is necessary to remember past crimes so that they never happen again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n\n \u015aviat\u0142ana Cichano\u016dskaja speaking at the ceremony in Tallinn\n <\/div>\n \n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The night of October 29-30, 1937 is often described as one of the darkest chapters of Belarusian history in the 20th century. The Soviet interior ministry\u2019s NKVD executed more than 100 Belarusian intellectuals and officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among them were 22 poets and writers, including Micha\u015b \u010carot, Ale\u015b Dudar, Micha\u015b Zarecki, P\u0142aton Ha\u0142ava\u010d, Todar Kla\u0161torny, Jurka Lavonny, Valeryj Marako\u016d, Majsiej Kulbyk, Isak Charyk, Vasil Sta\u0161e\u016dski, Janka Niomanski, Za\u0142man Pivavara\u016d and Vasil Kaval.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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