News on the topic: arrest
01.09.2011 Ales Bialiatski: life behind bars
The arrested Chair of the Human Rights Center Viasna tries to use the time he has to spend in custody as effectively as possible. He reads books, learns English, does physical exercises and writes memoirs about the literary society Tuteishyia in the remand jail. He wrote this in several letters to his colleagues.
31.08.2011 Ihar Sluchak sentenced to 3 days of arrest
On 30 August Judge of the Savetski District Court of Homel Shaustruk found Ihar Sluchak, a member of the United Civil Party, guilty of using obscene language in public (Article 17.1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses). He was sentenced to 3 days of arrest (which he served awaiting the trial) and was released from custody right in the court hall.
18.08.2011 2 Young Democrats arrested
On 16 August, Minsk police detained two activists of the Young Democrats UCPB’s youth wing Zmitser Silchanka and Volha Padzeryna.
11.08.2011 German Ambassador paid a visit to HRC Viasna
On 11 August, Christof Weil, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Germany to Belarus, paid a visit to the office of the Human Rights Center Viasna. He said words of support to the family and friends of Ales Bialiatski, as well as to his colleagues from the Human Rights Center Viasna.
11.08.2011 Nobel Prize holder Shirin Ebadi joins campaign of support to Ales Bialiatski
On 10 August well-known Iranian human rights activist and lawyer Shirin Ebadi, awarded Nobel Peace Prize in 2003, joined the campaign in support of Ales Bialiatski, launched by the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) in cooperation with the Human Rights Centre Viasna.
11.08.2011 Belarusian PEN-Center supports Ales Bialiatski
The statement that was issued by the council of the Belarusian PEN-Center on 10 August, reads: “Ales Bialiatski is an outstanding public figure, one of the founders of the literary association Tuteishyia and a member of the Belarusian PEN-Center. The civil association Human Rights Center Viasna, established by him in 1996, has defended the values set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus since the very beginning, supporting the people who were arrested during mass protests and their families.
11.08.2011 Biaroza: human rights defenders intend to hold a picket in support of Ales Bialiatski
Human rights defenders addressed the Biaroza District Executive Committee asking to permit them holding a picket at 6-7 p.m. on 24 August 2011 in the officially allowed place, the town stadium.
11.08.2011 Foreign human rights organizations address Prosecutor General to release Ales Bialiatski
To: Nikolai Nikolaevich Kulik, Prosecutor General of the City of Minsk Copied: Division of Preliminary Investigations in the Department of Financial Investigation for the Minsk District and the city of Minsk
10.08.2011 Ten days of arrest for solidarity with political prisoner Dashkevich
On 9 August Raman Vasiliieu was sentenced to ten days of arrest for participation in the picket of solidarity with political prisoner Zmitser Dashkevich that had been held on 2 August in the town of Horki.
10.08.2011 People readily express solidarity with Ales Bialiatski
Belarusian citizens were quite active even on the very first day of collecting pledges for bailing out the head of the HRC Viasna, which is the fifth day of Ales’s detention in the remand prison. It is very touching that among those who visited the office of HRC Viasna on 9 August there are not only well-known human rights defenders, journalists and victims of political repression who had received support from Viasna, but also ordinary people who learned about the situation from mass media. People also keep phoning from different regions of Belarus saying they want to send their pledges by mail.
10.08.2011 Young Democrats held an action of support to Ales Bialiatski
Several activists of the organization Young Democrats pasted in the underpass under Yakub Kolas Square portraits of the arrested human rights activist, leaflets with information about his prosecution and the slogan Freedom to Ales Bialiatski. They also set a box to collect funds to support him.
10.08.2011 United Civil Party calls to consolidation with human rights defenders
The Political Council of the United Civil Party states that the criminal persecution of human rights defender Ales Bialiatski has a clear political background.
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).
