{"id":61136,"date":"2024-01-15T22:00:46","date_gmt":"2024-01-15T19:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/api.pozirk.online\/?post_type=articles&p=61136"},"modified":"2026-02-24T20:40:57","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T20:40:57","slug":"european-parliament-president-takes-symbolic-patronage-over-jailed-belarusian-activist","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/61136\/","title":{"rendered":"European Parliament president takes symbolic patronage over jailed Belarusian activist"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n\n \"\"\n
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\n\n European Parliament President Roberta Metsola (wearing blue) in Vilnius. At her left hand: \u015aviat\u0142ana Cichano\u016dskaja, the Belarusian opposition leader. At her right hand: Andrej \u0160arenda, the husband of jailed Belarusian activist Palina \u0160arenda-Panasiuk.\n <\/div>\n \n
\n (Press office of \u015aviat\u0142ana Cichano\u016dskaja)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

January 15, Pozirk.<\/em><\/strong> The president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, has announced<\/a> that she is the symbolic godmother of imprisoned Belarusian activist Palina \u0160arenda-Panasiuk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She made a pledge to this effect visiting the office of \u015aviat\u0142ana Cichano\u016dskaja in Vilnius on January 13, according to the Telegram account of the Belarusian opposition leader.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The announcement proves that Belarusians are not alone in their struggle, Cichano\u016dskaja said<\/a>. \u201cWhen an international partner becomes a godparent for at least one of our heroes, I feel warmth in my heart, for I realize that this is another loud voice reminding the whole world about our heroes,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Democratic forces remember all political prisoners and are working towards their release, she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the January 13 meeting, Cichano\u016dskaja suggested establishing an international foundation to help former political prisoners, offering Metsola to \u201ctake symbolic patronage\u201d over one of them and encourage MEPs to join this campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some former jailed dissidents and relatives of those behind bars also attended the meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In June 2021, a district court in Brest sentenced Palina \u0160arenda-Panasiuk to two years in prison for alleged violence against a police officer and insults against state officials. She subsequently received additional sentences for allegedly disobeying the prison administration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0160arenda-Panasiuk has reportedly faced all-treatment, such as detention in a punishment cell and the deprivation of food and medicine parcels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On December 10 in Vilnius, Belarusian human rights defenders awarded her the Human Rights Solidarity prize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier, members of the European Parliament, as well as German, British, Ukrainian and other lawmakers, became symbolic godparents of Belarusian political prisoners.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

January 15, Pozirk. The president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, has announced that she is the symbolic godmother of imprisoned Belarusian activist Palina \u0160arenda-Panasiuk. She made a pledge to this effect visiting the office of \u015aviat\u0142ana Cichano\u016dskaja in Vilnius on January 13, according to the Telegram account of the Belarusian opposition leader. The announcement […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":75,"featured_media":61118,"template":"","rubric":[],"class_list":["post-61136","articles","type-articles","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nEuropean Parliament president takes symbolic patronage over jailed Belarusian activist | Pozirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"January 15, Pozirk. 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The president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, has announced that she is the symbolic godmother of imprisoned Belarusian\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/61136\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Pozirk\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pozirkonline\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-24T20:40:57+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/metsola_press_sluzhba_tsikhanovskoi_20240115.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1128\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"752\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Pozirk_online\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"1 minute\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/61136\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/61136\/\"},\"headline\":\"European Parliament president takes symbolic patronage over jailed Belarusian activist\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-01-15T19:00:46+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-24T20:40:57+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/61136\/\"},\"wordCount\":271,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/61136\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/metsola_press_sluzhba_tsikhanovskoi_20240115.jpg\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/61136\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/61136\/\",\"name\":\"European Parliament president takes symbolic patronage over jailed Belarusian activist | Pozirk\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/61136\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/61136\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/metsola_press_sluzhba_tsikhanovskoi_20240115.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-01-15T19:00:46+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-24T20:40:57+00:00\",\"description\":\"January 15, Pozirk. 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