Human rights defender Ales Bialiatski summonsed for a ‘talk’
On 14 February afternoon the Chairperson of the Human
Rights Center Viasna Ales Bialiatski
received a telephone call from a man who introduced himself as Pavel Yeliseyeu,
Deputy Chairperson of the department of supervision over the respect to rights
and freedoms of citizens of the General Procuracy of the Republic of Belarus.
The officer invited Ales Bialiatski for a ‘talk’. Being asked about the topic
of the ‘talk’, he answered that it was ‘activities of the Human Rights
Center Viasna.
Bialiatski is convinced that this ‘invitation’ is connected to Viasna’s activities and he would most
probably be issued with a warning for ‘activities on behalf of unregistered
organization’.
‘However, if it will happen, I’m totally against it’, comments the human rights
defender. ‘Article 193.1, ‘activities on behalf of unregistered organizations’,
contradicts to the Constitution and the international undertakings of the Republic of Belarus in the sphere of human rights. It
is a repressive article aimed at suppression of civil activism in Belarus.’
The talk with A.Bialiatski at the General Procuracy was scheduled for 3 p.m. on
16 February. An official writ must be presented to him by that time.
