Prominent Belarusian Rights Activist Released

Submitted by admin on Sat, 06/21/2014 - 00:00

Prominent Belarusian human rights activist Ales Byalyatski has arrived in Minsk after he was released from prison.

He was welcomed at a Minsk train station by his wife Natalya Pinchuk and a group of supporters on June 21.

Byalyatski told reporters he was released under an amnesty law that came into force on June 21. The rights activist also that the domestic and international support he had received heped in getting him released early.

The law on "Amnesty in connection with the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus from Nazi invaders" was ratified in May.

The rights activist said he was informed about his imminent release on the same day, at nine o'clock in the morning.

Byalyatski also said he had been under pressure to ask for a pardon, but refused to do so.

Byalyatski, the 51-year-old head of the Belarusian human rights center "Vyasna," was sentenced to 4 and 1/2 years in prison in November 2011. He was convicted of tax evasion.

The charges stemmed from Byalyatski's reported use of personal bank accounts in Lithuania and Poland to receive funding from international donors in support of his human rights activities in Belarus.

Byalyatski pleaded not guilty and his supporters said the charges against him were politically motivated.

The European Union and the United States, who have repeatedly demanded Byalyatski's release, welcomed the move.

A statement by U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki called it "a positive development."

But the statement added, "We reiterate our call for the Government of Belarus to immediately and unconditionally release all the political prisoners who remain in detention and restore their political rights."

An EU statement said the move was "an important step by the Belarusian authorities."

The statement said it "should be followed without delay by the release of all the remaining political prisoners and the reinstatement of their full civil and political rights."

Rights activists say six people remain in prison for political activism, including former presidential candidate Nikolai Statkevich.

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/prominent-belarusian-rights-activist-released/25430324.html

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News of Belarus

Belarus: a month after December 19th. What's next? Press conference

Submitted by admin on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 10:10

On 19 January 2011, the Belarusian Human Rights House is hosting a press conference on the human rights situation in Belarus. International experts and representatives of human rights organizations from different countries will present their assessment of what is happening in Belarus from the human rights perspective.

When: Wednesday, 19 January 2011, 13:00

Where: Vilnius, Latako str. 3

Host: Belarusian Human Rights House

Contact: ( +370 5 212 7703 )

Пресс-конференция в Беларусском Доме прав человека

Submitted by admin on Tue, 01/18/2011 - 21:00

Belarus: a month after December 19th: Tragedy for one country or for the whole Europe?

Беларусь: месяц после 19 декабря: трагедия для одной страны или для всей Европы?

Search in the office of the unregistered Human Rights Protection Center “Vyasna” (Minsk)

Submitted by admin on Mon, 01/17/2011 - 15:36

At the moment search in the office of the unregistered Human Rights Protection Center “Vyasna” (Minsk) has started. One representative of the Committee On State Security (KGB), three unknown persons, 2 legal witnesses required by the procedure and chairman Ales Belyatskiy are inside. Representatives of the International Monitoring Mission of the Committee on International Control over the Human Rights Situation in Belarus and local human rights defenders are at place waiting for the end of the search procedure.