News on the topic: human rights defenders
10.08.2011 US Senator John McCain demands immediate release of Ales Bialiatski
An influential U.S. senator, former presidential candidate John McCain, the Republican demanded the release of human rights activist Ales Bialiatski and other prisoners of conscience. He also called for increased pressure on the regime of Aliaksandr Lukashenka.
10.08.2011 The Norwegian Helsinki Committee demands the immediate release of Ales Bialiatski
The Norwegian Helsinki Committee (NHC) is appalled over the news of the arrest of Ales Bialiatski, the head of the Human Rights Centre “Viasna” and vice-president of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), on 4 August 2011. Ales Bialiatski is accused of gross tax evasion in violation of the art. 243 part 2 of the Criminal Code of Belarus and risks, if convicted, imprisonment up to seven years.
09.08.2011 International Federation for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders ‘Frontline’ demands to immediately and unconditionally release Ales Bialiatski
Human rights defender Mr Ales Bialiatski was arrested on 4 August 2011, and is currently being detained at the Volodarskogo Pre-trial Detention Centre He is the subject of a criminal investigation following accusations that he was involved in tax evasion. Ales Bialiatski is the chairman of Human Rights Centre 'Viasna' (HRC 'Viasna'), one of biggest human rights groups in Belarus that works to defend and promote political, cultural and social rights. He is also the Vice-President of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH).
09.08.2011 Statement of Markus Löning, German Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy, concerning detention of Ales Bialiatski
“The German Government demands that human rights activist Ales Bialiatski be set free immediately. This action is evidently intended to forcibly silence a committed representative of Belarusian civil society. The German Government condemns this abuse of the criminal code for political goals in the strongest possible terms.
09.08.2011 Offence of authorities on human rights organizations is a challenge for Belarusian human rights community
Assembly of Democratic Non-Governmental Organizations of Belarus notes with concern the intensification of the offensive on the human rights community of the country by the authorities. Arrest and prosecution of Ales Bialiatski, leader of the Human Rights Center Viasna, is a demonstrative action which seeks to intimidate and destroy the Belarusian human rights movement.
08.08.2011 Let us send letters of support to Ales Bialiatski!
The human rights defender will be kept in custody at least till 14 August evening. The time in the pre-trial prison runs very slowly and turns into an examination by uncertainty. He passed greetings to all of us before going to the prison and called us to stay brave and cheerful. Friends, let’s support Ales by sending him good words these days!
08.08.2011 Belarusian human rights defenders start campaign on bailing out Mr. Bialiatski
The Belarusian Helsinki Committee (BHC) has issued an appeal calling on sympathizers to apply for the release of human rights defender Ales Bialiatski against their guarantee that he would not flee from prosecution or obstruct the investigation or engage in criminal activities.
08.08.2011 Foreign diplomats express support to Viasna
On 5 August Michael Scanlan, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim of the United States in Belarus, and Christopher Panico, First Secretary of The U.S. Embassy in Minsk, visited Minsk office of the Human Rights Center Viasna in connection with the arrest of Ales Bialiatski.
08.08.2011 Libereco demands release of Human Rights Defender Ales Bialiatski
Belarusian Human Rights Defender Ales Bialiatski was detained on 4 August 2011 in Minsk. Libereco – Partnership for Human Rights is calling for his immediate und unconditional release. The human rights organisation started an action „We all are Ales“ on facebook and calls on the international and Belarusian public to express their solidarity with the imprisonned human rights defender by supporting this facebook page and sending appeals to President Lukashenko.
08.08.2011 PACE Rapporteur on Belarus urges Belarusian authorities to stop harassment and intimidation towards civil society
Strasbourg, 08.08.2011 - Following last week's arrest of Ales Bialiatski, head of the NGO Viasna and Vice-President of the International Human Rights Federation, on charges of “tax evasion”, Andres Herkel (Estonia, EPP/CD), the rapporteur on Belarus for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), has urged the authorities in Belarus to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of Mr Bialiatski and to put an end to all forms of harassment against him and other human rights defenders in the country.
08.08.2011 CIVICUS Urges Immediate Release of Belarusian Human Rights Defender, Aliaksandr Bialiatski
CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation strongly condemns the arrest of Aliaksandr (Ales) Bialiatski, prominent Belarusian human rights defender, vice president of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and head of the Minsk-based human rights centre Viasna.
08.08.2011 U.S. Embassy in Belarus condemns the detention of Viasna leader Ales Bialiatski
The August 4 detention of Viasna leader Ales Bialiatski is extremely troubling and represents another, unfortunate sign of Belarus’ self-isolation and further deviation from European standards and principles. In democratic societies, independent NGOs like Viasna – who the government continues to refuse to register – play a crucial role in the all important system of checks and balances. Recognizing this, societies pass laws creating conditions for the “third sector” to function and flourish. They do not try to marginalize civil society by denying registration and harassing and detaining NGO members.
08.08.2011 Östgruppen demands immediate release of Ales Bialiatski
The Swedish human rights organization Östgruppen demands the immediate release of the Chairperson of the Human Rights Center Viasna Ales Bialiatski.
08.08.2011 Secretariat of Union of Belarus Writers demands immediate release of Ales Bialiatski
Secretariat of the Union of Belarusian Writers' expresses a deep concern with the fate of a famous literary critic, writer and human rights activist Ales Bialiatski, detained on 4 August by officers of the Department of Financial Investigations of the Republic of Belarus. We believe that the arrest of the member of our organization Ales Bialiatski is politically motivated and is connected to his human rights activities. We strongly demand the immediate release of Ales Bialiatski from custody and termination of criminal proceedings against him.
08.08.2011 Statement by Spokesperson of EU High Representative Catherine Ashton on Arrest of Ales Bialiatski in Belarus
The spokesperson of Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the Commission, issued the following statement today:
