News on the topic: human rights defenders
12.08.2011 FIDH President addresses Lithuanian Prime Minister on Bialiatski's case
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), condemns the ongoing arbitrary detention of Mr. Ales Bialatski, FIDH Vice-President and President of the Belarusian Human Rights Centre "Viasna".
12.08.2011 Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders addresses Belarusian authorites on Bialiatski's arrest
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), has received new information and requests your intervention in the following situation in Belarus.
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 Ruling about fine to human rights defender Sviatlana Rudkouskaya left standing
On 1 August the administrative case against a member of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee Sviatlana Rudkouskaya was reviewed without her participation. The new ruling, signed by the Deputy Chair of the Leninski District Police Department of Hrodna Vital Stasiukevich was copied from the earlier one.
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 Belarusian Helsinki Committee can be closed too
The Justice Ministry of Belarus threatens to use severe measures of responsibility against the Belarusian Helsinki Committee. The Ministry pointed the Belarusian Helsinki Committee (BHC) at the necessity to follow requirements of the law, and in particular, the right of citizens of Belarus and foreign citizens to know full, reliable and unbiased information, the message posted on the website of the ministry reads.
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 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 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).
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.
