Ales Bialiatski: “All prizes and awards are an eloquent signal for all people of good and bad will in Belarus!”

Ales Bialiatski responded to news about the ceremony, at which his son, Adam Bialiatski, received the symbolic award of the status of a honorable citizen of Paris to his father.

The ceremony, which took place on 10 December at the City Hall of Paris, Adam Bialiatski read his father's words, passed from the Babruisk penitentiary.

"The awarding of honorary citizenship of Paris is a great and unexpected honor for me. I want to thank the Council of Paris, and the Mayor of Paris, and the city council of the 11th arrondissement, who took such an initiative, and, of course, everyone who has relation to it. I also understand that there is a huge share of advance in this honorable citizenship.

Let's regard all prizes and awards as a clear signal to the people of good and bad will in Belarus, while we are just transmitters of these signals. Some people put me in jail, sending one signal, the others give me an award, sending another signal. The role of a symbolic object is also worth something...

Say a huge hello to all our friends in Paris!" wrote Ales Bialiatski.

In the photo: the mayor of the 11th arrondissement of Paris Patrick Bloch, Adam Bialiatski, FIDH President Karime Lahidji, Mayor of Paris Bertrand Delanoe.

Receiving this award, which symbolizes the solidarity of the French capital with the Vice President of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the head of the Human Rights Center "Viasna", Adam Bialiatski thanked to the Major. Mr. Bertrand Delanoe, on behalf of his father, his family and himself.