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

Human rights defender Tatsiana Reviaka questioned by KGB

Submitted by admin on Tue, 08/21/2012 - 21:33

Mrs. Tatsiana Reviaka, member of the Human Rights Center Viasna’s Council, has been summoned for “conversation” to the KGB central office, after she received an official writ, saying that she should be questioned “as a person being aware of circumstances that have significance for maintaining the national security of the Republic of Belarus.”

Tatsiana Reviaka visited the KGB office, accompanied by her lawyer.

Ales Bialiatski: “I am a persistent violator!”

Submitted by admin on Sun, 08/12/2012 - 13:33

Back in the middle of June the imprisoned head of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” Ales Bialiatski wrote in his letter to Valiantsin Stefanovich: “It seems to me that the reprimands I have received are not the last ones”. The new information from Babruisk, where Ales is currently kept, confirms these words. Thus, in his letter to Valiantsin Stefanovich of 5 August he writes about more reprimands, issued to him by the administration of penal colony #2.

Ukrainian civic activists express their disquiet about the visit of President of Belarus to Kyiv

Submitted by admin on Fri, 06/29/2012 - 18:01

Open appeal to the heads of states, diplomats and representatives of the international organizations:

Ukrainian human rights defenders, civic activists and concerned citizens express their disquiet about the planned visit of President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko to Kyiv on July 1st 2012.