Statement of Markus Löning, German Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy, concerning detention of Ales Bialiatski

Markus Löning, Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy, made the following statement:

“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.

The repression of opposition NGOs and their activists must end and political prisoners in Belarus must finally be released.”