#FreeViasna: Latest news about jailed Viasna human rights defenders
On September 17, #FreeViasna campaign of solidarity with the imprisoned Viasna members was launched. Here’s the latest news about them.
On the eve of the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize, a motion demanding the release of Ales Bialiatski and other political prisoners of Belarus was submitted to the House of Commons of the British Parliament.
The author of the proposal is Sir Tony Lloyd, chair of the parliamentary group on the issue of Belarus.
Libereco activists handed over 100,000 signatures for the release of Bialiatski and all political prisoners to the Belarusian embassy
By the time the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded, Libereco, together with the NGOs Campact and Campax in Germany and Switzerland, had already collected more than 100,000 signatures for the release of Ales Bialiatski, the also imprisoned opposition leader Maryia Kalesnikava and all other political prisoners, the website of the German-Swiss human rights organization Libereco – Partnership for Human Rights informs.
- Photo from Marco Fieber's Twitter page
The collected signatures were handed over at the rally on December 9 to the Embassy of the Republic of Belarus in Berlin. This is a reminder of those who defend their fundamental rights to freedom of speech, assembly, and association in Belarus and are therefore innocently in prison.
“Human rights in Belarus continue to be violated, prisoners are kept in unbearable conditions, especially now, in winter, and most of the Belarusian society is held hostage only because they stood up for freedom,” explained the essence of the petition Marco Fieber, executive director of Libereco in Germany.
Also, 131 deputies from 21 countries called for the release of the Belarusian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, signing the corresponding letter.
The Seimas of Lithuania adopted a resolution on human rights violations in Belarus
The resolution calls for all possible measures to be taken for the immediate release of all political prisoners in Belarus, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski.
It also contains a call to declare “the so-called Belarusian security and law enforcement agencies, in particular the State Security Committee (KGB) and the Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption (GUBOPiK) of the Ministry of Internal Affairs” as terrorist organizations. It also contains a call to initiate the creation of a Special International Tribunal to investigate crimes against humanity committed by the Belarusian regime against its own people.
Bialiatski's lawyer did not pass the extraordinary certification
The qualification commission did not certify the lawyers Uladzimir Pylchanka and Viktar Matskevich who were summoned for an extraordinary certification on December 1, the Right to Protection project learned.
Viktar Matskevich defended political prisoners Ales Bialiatski, Viktar Babaryka, Siarhei Tsikhanouski, Ihar Alinevich, Akikhira Hayeuski-Khanada, and Yauhen Yushkevich. His fellow Uladzimir Pylchenka defended Maryia Kalesnikava, Eduard Babaryka, Iryna Slaunikava, Katsiaryna Bakhvalava, and others.
Ales Bialiatski's wife on her husband's reaction to the Nobel Peace Prize: “He is very impressed by this news”
The Viasna Chairman learned that he had won the Nobel Peace Prize in pre-trial detention. Ales Bialiatski's wife Natalia Pinchuk told Viasna how she took the news about the award and how Ales himself took it, shared her opinions on whether it would affect his situation, and how Ales feels now.
“When I told him about the news during my visit, it appeared to be absolutely unexpected, though joyful, for him, and he still can't come to his senses. He is very impressed by this news.”
Ales Bialiatski's wife on her husband's reaction to the Nobel Peace Prize: "He is very impressed by this news"
Swedish film about this year's Nobel Peace Prize laureates
Watch the film on the website of Swedish national television (English subtitles are available).
Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony held in Oslo. Ales Bialiatski’s wife delivered a lecture instead of him
On December 10, International Human Rights Day, the Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony was held in Oslo. This year, three nominees jointly received the prestigious award: the Сhairman of Viasna Ales Bialiatski, the Russian human rights organization Memorial, and the Ukrainian human rights organization Center for Civil Liberties.
Ales Bialiatski could not personally receive the award, as he has been kept behind bars for over 17 months now as part of a criminal case. That is why his wife Natalia Pinchuk received the award instead of him. She gave a strong speech.
Ales Bialiatski Awarded Nobel Peace Prize. His Wife Receives It
Belarusians celebrated Nobel Peace Prize all around Europe
Belarusian diasporas in several countries came together to watch the broadcast of the Nobel Peace Prize online. People also came out to rallies in support of Belarusian political prisoners, discussed the human rights situation in Belarus, and Bialiatski’s friends, and fellows shared their memories of him.
Belarusians celebrate Nobel Peace Prize all around Europe
A fresco painting of Ales Bialiatski unveiled in Vilnius
- Photo from www.lrt.lt
The Lithuanian authorities supported the creation of the mural. This project expresses all the values that Lithuania fights for every day, said Lithuanian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mantas Adomėnas:
“For us, Ales Bialiatski is a symbol and a face of resistance and struggle for freedom, for democracy, for the European future of Belarus. He is the Nelson Mandela of our days. The Nobel Committee has recognized this with its award. In the person of Ales, we are spreading the news about all Belarusians who are in jails as political prisoners. As of today, there are 1,435 people. And we send a message to the whole world that we must not forget those people who fight for something that is an everyday reality for us. For them, it is a goal for which they go to prison, face torture, and even die.”
Artists from the Kiaurai sieńs laboratory and the Gyva Grafika team from Kaunas undertook the implementation of the mural at the request of the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The designer of the mural, as well as the manager of the entire work, is Lina Šlipavičiūtė.
"He is a symbol of the struggle for freedom." Ales Bialiatski's portrait unveiled in front of the Belarusian embassy
Uladzimir Labkovich from behind bars: "A new stage in my journey will soon begin"
The coordinator of the Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections campaign Uladzimir Labkovich sent a mail from jail. He writes that he is tired and suffers from frequent headaches, but continues to write letters every day, hoping that they will reach the addressees.
Valiantsin Stefanovic: The verdict to Viasna in spring is symbolic
Political prisoner and deputy chairman of Viasna Valyantsin Stefanovic sent a letter from pre-trial detention. He wrote that he knew about the protests in Iran from newspapers.
Stefanovic also shared information about the progress of the criminal proceedings against him, Ales Bialiatski, and Uladzimir Labkovich:
“As for the timeline, I think the trial will start in the second half of January or early February. The trial will take a long time, until spring. The verdict to Viasna (bel. spring—translator’s note) in spring is symbolic ahaha. With the appeal, I'll have three years of imprisonment already served. There's a promotion now—serve two years in jail and get one year for free. I came up with that.”
Viasna trial to begin on January 5
The Lieninski District Court of Minsk set the trial date in the criminal case against Viasna human rights defenders. Judge Maryna Zapasnik will preside over the trial, which begins on January 5, 2022. Viasna rights defenders are charged with ‘smuggling (illegal movement of cash across the customs border of the Eurasian Economic Union on a large scale by an organized group’ under Part 4 Article 228 of the Criminal Code and ‘financing of group actions grossly violating the public order’ under Part 2 of Article 342 of the Criminal Code. Three human rights defenders have been in custody since July 14, 2021. They face 7 to 12 years of imprisonment. It has not yet been announced that the trial will be closed to the public.
Viasna trial to begin on January 5
No updates from Rabkova, Chapiuk, and Sudalenka
Recently, there has been no news about the coordinator of the Viasna volunteer service Marfa Rabkova and volunteer Andrei Chapiuk. It is known that they remain in the pre-trial detention center pending an appeal against the sentence.
For a long time, there is no news from the head of the Viasna Homieĺ branch Leanid Sudalenka, who was sentenced to three years in prison.
You can find more news about imprisoned Viasna human rights defenders on the website freeviasna.org
