The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

Front Line Defenders released yesterday a statement concerning continuous reprimanding of Ales Bialiatski, including recent 6-month suspension of right to receive food from visitors.

Deputy Chairman of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” Valiantsin Stefanovich addressed on May 17 the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus Uladzimir Makei an appeal in connection with the failure of the Belarusian government to implement the Decision of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on Ales Bialiatski’s case.

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders addresses the Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs with a request to implement Decision of the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on the case of human rights defender Ales Bialiatski.

Ales Bialiatski wrote a letter to thank the winner of “Eurovision-2012” Loreen, who has repeatedly demonstrated her solidarity with the imprisoned human rights defender and his family.

Time moves on, but the situation of human rights and civil society in Belarus remains dramatic. Ales Bialiatski, Vice-president of FIDH and President of the Human Rights Center “Viasna”, is still in jail along with numerous other political prisoners; all continue to be subjected to further harassment even behind bars. To shed light on this intolerable situation, FIDH has launched a new version of the http://freeales.fidh.net website. This site will inform and mobilise the international community loudly speaking out for the Belarusian civil society, which continues its courageous work despite the on-going pressure.

On 30 March the presentation of the books "Bialiatski's Case" and "Enlightened by Belarusian Issue" was held in Babruisk.

Amnesty International summed up the results of the world letter marathon in support of Ales Bialiatski. All in all, 104,731 actions were taken to support the Belarusian human rights defender who was declared a prisoner of conscience by this authoritative international organization.