#FreeViasna: Weekly news digest on Viasna’s imprisoned human rights defenders
On September 7, #FreeViasna campaign of solidarity with the imprisoned Viasna members was launched. Here’s the latest news about them
The website of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has published the official response of the Belarusian government to the request of four Special Rapporteurs on the search and detention of human rights defenders, NGO representatives, and independent media, which took place in July 2021.
“Criminal prosecution of Viasna members is not related to their work,” authorities responded to the UN request
The official response from Belarusian authorities notes that Ales Bialiatski, Valiantsin Stefanovich, Uladzimir Labkovich were detained as part of the criminal case and charged under Parts 1 and 2 of Article 342 and Part 2 of Article 243 of the Criminal Code. A preventive measure of detention was chosen against them, they are kept in custody in appropriate conditions, and their rights, including the right to communicate with counsel, are being respected.
Official representatives of Belarus assure the Special Rapporteurs that during the investigation of the criminal case, Marfa Rabkova's procedural rights have been explained to her and those rights, including the right of defense and the right to appeal against decisions on detention and the application of preventive measures, have been upheld. On instructions from the Office of the Procurator General, the Minsk procurator's office has carried out a check to ensure that the procedures and conditions for Ms. Rabkova's custody were being observed in pre-trial detention center No. 1.
There was no news from Ales Bialiatski, Valiantsin Stefanovich, and Uladzimir Labkovich last week.
Marfa Rabkova: “Solidarity warms my heart”
Marfa Rabkova, coordinator of the Viasna volunteer service, sent a letter from prison saying that mails of solidarity are a great support for political prisoners:
“Letters are so helpful in finding the strength to live decently day after day in captivity. Solidarity warms my heart”.
- A letter by Marfa Rabkova. Photo: Facebook group "Letters of Solidarity"
The human rights defender believes that Belarusians will hold out:
“How many calamities have befallen our people, but I'm sure that we will hold out and everything will get better eventually. The historical processes have already been activated, we must have patience and strength to wait for the end of all these troubles. Even after the darkest night, the long-awaited dawn is sure to come.”
There was no news from Viasna volunteer Andrei Čapiuk last week.
Tatsiana Lasitsa got a new symbolic "godfather"
A member of the German Bundestag and General Secretary of the Social Democratic Party Kevin Kühnert took over the godparenthood of Tatsiana Lasitsa from former MP Gisela Manderla. On this occasion, he stated:
“The activist Tatsiana Lasitsa has been unjustly imprisoned in a penal colony since 21 January 2021 for observing demonstrations and documenting human rights violations for the Viasna Human Rights Centre. Because of her advocacy for human rights, she was convicted under §342 of the Belarusian Criminal Code for allegedly disturbing public order. This accusation is grotesque because only in a dictatorship do basic democratic rights disrupt so-called order. The conviction is a farce and once again exposes the oppressive character of the Belarusian regime. Tatsiana Lasitsa and all political prisoners in Belarus must be released immediately. The regime’s unlawful and violent actions against citizens who stand for nothing more than the bare minimum of democratic coexistence must be stopped. The democratic civil society in Belarus should know: No prisoner is forgotten. The responsible perpetrators should be aware that we are closely monitoring the repression in Belarus at all times and that human rights will prevail one day.”
There was no news from the head of the Homieĺ branch of Viasna Leanid Sudalenka last week.
