Belarusian NGO leaders thank people for joining campaign of solidarity with Ales Bialiatski

We, representatives of Belarusian civil society, would like to express our deep gratitude to the citizens of Belarus who acceded to our appeal for solidarity with the imprisoned leader of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” Ales Bialiatski through contribution to the money-raising campaign to “repair the damage inflicted by the offence”, as ordered by a court ruling.

On 24 November 2011, the Court of Pershamaiski District of Minsk unreasonably found the resources donated to the Human Rights Center “Viasna” as aid to the victims of political repressions and human rights violations as the personal income of Ales Bialiatski and sentenced him to four and a half years of imprisonment in a general-security penal colony with confiscation of property.

We would also like to stress that the money-raising campaign launched on 15 December 2011 is aimed at either the release of Ales Bialiatski, or the change of the measure of restraint and mitigation of the severe verdict.

Representatives of the civil society would like to state that due to the donations by 765 citizens of Belarus the necessary amount of money has been finally raised. On 18 January 2012, Ales Bialiatski’s wife transferred the money (757,526,717 rubles) to the account of the Department of Justice of Minsk City Executive Committee for the Court of Pershamaiski District.

The campaign showed that the Belarusian society is able of expressing solidarity to protect justice in the case of the illegally convicted human rights defender, who plead not guilty of the charges brought against him and is still demanding acquittal.

The solidarity is also aimed at the entire Belarusian human rights movement, which has been protecting the rights and freedoms of citizens under extreme circumstances, constantly fighting for the fundamental values over the years.

United We Are Strong!

Aleh Hulak

Inna Kulei

Barys Zvozskau

Alena Tankachova

Zhanna Litvina

Siarhei Matskevich

Valiantsin Stefanovich

Aliaksandr Milinkevich

Raisa Mikhailouskaya

Tatsiana Reviaka

Aleh Vouchak