Statement of Human Rights Center Viasna
On 4
August 2011 Ales Bialiatski, Chair of the Human Rights Center Viasna,
vice-President of the International Federation for Human Rights
(FIDH), was detained within the framework of a criminal case
instigated under Article 243, part 2 of the Criminal Code of the
Republic of Belarus, “concealment of profits on an especially large
scale”. This article envisages up to 7 years of imprisonment with
the confiscation of property.
The arrest of the human rights
defender was preceded by searches at his home, summer residence and
at the office of the Human Rights Center Viasna.
We
unequivocally consider the criminal case against Ales Bialiatski as
lynching and revenge for his longstanding human rights activity, and
also as an attempt to destroy the Human Rights Center Viasna
and intimidate the whole human
rights movement of Belarus.
The Human Rights Center
Viasna:
1.
Demands to immediately release Ales Bialiatski and stop the criminal
persecution towards him.
2. States the intention to continue its
work as our organization consists of the people who are united by the
faith in the importance of their mission on the protection of rights
and liberties of Belarusian citizens.
3. Expresses regret that
state organs of the Lithuanian Republic created favorable conditions
for the instigation of the criminal case against Ales Bialiatski.
4.
Calls on the international community to apply all possible means of
political and legal pressure on the Belarusian authorities with the
aim of the release of Ales Bialiatski and all prisoners of
conscience.
The Human Rights Center Viasna states
that repressive actions of the Belarusian authorities lead to further
isolation of the country and put Belarus in danger of possible
economic sanctions, which will be fault only of the Belarusian
authorities.
We express our gratitude to all our colleagues,
human rights activists, who express support to Ales Bialiatski and
our organization.
