Norwegian Helsinki Committee expresses deep concern with arrest of Ales Bialiatski
Yesterday, August 4, Ales Bialitaski, the head of Human Rights Centre (HRC) Viasna and the Vice- President of International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) was arbitrary detained at around 16 45, beside Victory Square in Minsk. The detention was conducted by the police from the Department of Financial Investigation. The same evening, in the presence of Ales’ Bialitaski, police ransacked his apartment, and thereafter, the office of HRC Viasna. As a result, the computer and some documents were confiscated. After these procedures, Ales was transported to the Department of Financial Investigation for further interrogation and will stay there for three days, until the details of the charge are clarified.
Norwegian Helsinki Committee is deeply concerned with Ales Bialiatski’s detention. The Secretary General of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee Bjørn Engesland says: “We will demand the immediate release of our colleague and good partner Ales Bialiatski by using all appropriate means we have. We have been observing the dramatic developments in Belarus since the last presidential elections the 19th of December. The Belarusian authorities, step by step, have been arresting oppositional presidential candidates, political activists, journalists, going harshly against all kind of protests, even detaining civilians who participate in the “silent” protests”. The judicial procedures have demonstrated that the defendants have not been given a fair trial”, Engesland continues. “ Now we see that Ales’ arrest and searches at the office of Viasna are the signs to the civil society groups and NGOs that their turn has come. The international community should immediately react and demand the release of Ales Bialiatski as well as all the political prisoners. All the possibilities of pressure should be used: from diplomatic, - to targeted economic sanctions”.
Earlier this summer the Norwegian Helsinki Committee was informed by colleagues from HRC Viasna that, based on information received from the Lithuanian Banks, the Department of Financial Investigation of Belarus has started a criminal procedure against Ales Bialitaski in the frames of part 2, art 243 of Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus “understatement of income on an especially large scale”. Such an article has a sanction up to 7 years imprisonment and confiscation of belongings.
About HRC Viasna:
Human Rights Center "Viasna" is a
non-governmental human rights organization, created in 1996 during mass
protest actions
of the democratic opposition in Belarus.
Viasna was initially a group created to help the arrested rally
participants and
their families. That’s why Viasna
originally had the name “Viasna-96”. On 15 June 1999 the organization
was registered as
the Human Rights Center "Viasna". It is a
national NGO with the central office in Minsk and regional organizations
in the
majority of Belarusian cities. Viasna has
about 200 members all over the country. The organization is managed by
the Council
and chair of the Council, elected by the
General Congress.
On 28 October 2003 the Supreme Court of the
Republic of Belarus groundlessly cancelled registration of Viasna for
its participation
in observation of the presidential
election in 2001. On 6 March 2004 the Human Rights Center "Viasna"
became member of the
International Federation of Human Rights
(FIDH).
Since 2003 HRC Viasna has been trying to register the organization in Belarus, without any successful result. Despite this fact, HRC Viasna continued its work in defending and promoting human rights in Belarus.
Ales Bialiatski is a Laureate of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee’s Andrey Sakharov Freedom Award of 2006.
