Ales Bialiatski: "May peace remain in my soul." On the occasion of the 62nd birthday of Viasna Chairman
Chairman of Viasna Human Rights Center Ales Bialiatski became a Nobel laureate in imprisonment. However, even before that, he and Viasna had received many major awards. Ales Bialiatski became an honorary citizen of three cities: French Paris and Italian Genoa and Syracuse. Ales was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize five times.
Each time on these occasions, Ales spoke from all platforms about human rights violations in Belarus, reminded of the necessary support, and thanked for the support. On his birthday, we remember his words related to various awards.
Ales Bialiatski and Viasna received the prestigious international 2020 Right Livelihood Award
In 2020, Ales Bialiatski, the chairman of the Human Rights Center Viasna, and the organization became the first Belarusian laureates of the prestigious international Right Livelihood Award, known as the "alternative Nobel Prize". Ales Bialiatski and Viasna received the award for their role in the struggle for democracy and human rights in Belarus.
During the award ceremony, the human rights defender noted that the presentation of the award took place at a time when there was a peaceful revolution in Belarus:
"For six months now, the Belarusian society has been engaged in a breathtaking struggle. A fight for human rights, democracy and justice. A fight for the right to “be called people,” as Belarusian poet Yanka Kupala has said. A fight against Europe’s last dictator and the regime he has built over 26 years. The fight does not pass without sacrifices.
In this difficult time, the highly prestigious Right Livelihood Award is a strong signal of moral support to us, human rights defenders of Viasna. The award indicates that what we have been doing in our country for the past 24 years for the sake of justice is right and necessary. We regard this award not only as a recognition of the quality of our work. We perceive it as a sign of solidarity from the entire democratic world with the people of Belarus. And this is also a clear signal to the Belarusian authorities. A signal that the world will never put up with the massive violations of human rights. That it will not accept what is happening in Belarus now. If we don't want Belarus to turn into a Gulag, we need to support the Belarusian people today and now. My fellow activists in Viasna are also being persecuted for their human rights work."
Viasna received the Polish Award Sérgio Viera de Mello
Chairman of the Human Rights Center Viasna Ales Bialiatski recalled at the award ceremony that the whole history of Viasna was strongly connected with the history of Belarus:
"Would we be working to protect rights in Belarus if we knew it would take 26 years? If we knew that 17 years of them Viasna would exist without registration, that dozens of our colleagues would be fired, go through the courts, searches, would be left without social security? The state did everything to marginalize human rights activists, to reduce the influence of Viasna on the course of events in society to zero. But we stubbornly disagreed and continued to work. […]
And now came the time, 2020, when the people spoke. Hundreds of thousands of people came out to protest against election fraud, violence and to demand to punish criminals guilty of torture. The regime shook, but so far is holding, thanks to even greater levels of repression and restrictions. [...] At this difficult time, the work of Viasna is more necessary than ever. Hundreds of volunteers have joined us in recent months.”
Viasna received the prestigious Polish Jan Karski Eagle Award
For many years of work on the protection of human rights, dignity, and democracy, Human Rights Center Viasna received the prestigious Polish Jan Karski Eagle Award. The award ceremony took place on September 17, 2020.
Chairman of Human Rights Center Viasna Ales Bialiatski, in turn, expressed great gratitude to the Polish people for their support and appreciation of the work of Belarusian human rights defenders, public activists, and hundreds of thousands of people during such a difficult period.
"On the one hand, we do not fully believe in what is happening now, but on the other hand, we are actively involved. After all, this is what Viasna was created for: to provide as much support as possible at such moments to everyone who gets into difficult situations under our regime.
The level of persecution is extremely high now. The things we are now encountering are difficult to compare to anything else. We are facing a genuine legal and civilizational crisis. After all, pressure on the Belarusian society is now unthinkable. And we must clearly understand that all the moral and political support that the Belarusian people require is needed today.”
Ales Bialiatski appealed to the ambassadors of other European states to make every possible effort to stop the wave of persecution that has hit Belarus.
Viasna won the OSCE Defender of Democracy Award
The ceremony of awarding the OSCE Defender of Democracy Award to the Human Rights Center Viasna was held in Minsk on April 28, 2020.
"We could not even think that in 25 years we would still have to continue fighting for human rights. No one expected the magnitude of the persecution that has struck Belarusian civil society. Essentially, there is an undeclared martial law in the country. The authorities cover up the crimes of the security forces. Any civil activity is prohibited. A year ago there were three political prisoners in Belarus, and today there are more than 350. Four colleagues from Viasna are behind bars. There is a threat that soon many of us will end up in prison.
Belarus is undergoing a humanitarian and civilizational catastrophe. We call on democratic countries to help the Belarusian people, to force the Belarusian regime to start a dialogue with civil society," Bialiatski said in his speech and concluded it with the words: "Long live Belarus!" Radio Svaboda quotes.
The Sakharov Prize was awarded to the democratic opposition of Belarus
On December 16, 2020, a solemn presentation of the Andrei Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, which was awarded to the democratic opposition of Belarus on October 22, took place in Brussels. The award was presented by the Speaker of the European Parliament, David Sassoli. The democratic opposition of Belarus is represented by the Coordinating Council, which includes the chairman of Human Rights Center Viasna Ales Bialiatski.
"The awarding of the European Parliament Prize to the broad Belarusian democratic opposition is a recognition of the merits of the entire Belarusian people, who are desperately fighting for democratic changes in Belarus today. I regard the fact that my name is on the list of laureates as a gesture of support for our civil society, Belarusian human rights defenders, and my friends from Human Rights Center Viasna," Ales Bialiatski said.
On the occasion of the award, the human rights defender stated:
"The struggle continues for human rights and democracy in Belarus. Thousands of people are in prison, and violence against peaceful demonstrators remains unpunished. And this is not acceptable in Belarus, which is a European country.
Today is Belarus Day in the European Parliament, in the heart of Europe. We hope and urge the European Union that the next year, 2021, will also be the year of Belarus for the EU."
In 2013, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe announced Ales Bialiatski as the winner of the Vaclav Havel Prize at the autumn session in Strasbourg. Ales Bialiatski's wife Natallia Pinchuk, who was present at the ceremony in Strasbourg, said in her speech: Bialiatski had fought for an independent and democratic Belarus from the very beginning of his career. She recalled other Belarusian political prisoners and stressed that their release should be a condition for communication with the Belarusian authorities.
"Havel is a symbolic figure for the democrats of Belarus. Ales has said more than once that Havel is an example for him. Shortly before his death, Havel sent a letter of support to Ales, who was then in prison. Ales wrote that the letter was for him a ray of hope and solidarity. I also hope that this ray of solidarity will help Ales and his colleagues to emerge victorious in their struggle for justice...", she said.
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In 2022, the Nobel Peace Prize laureates were the chairman of Human Rights Center Viasna Ales Bialiatski, the Ukrainian Center for Civil Liberties and the Russian human rights organisation Memorial. This was announced by the Award Committee on October 7, 2022.
Ales Bialiatski became the third person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize while in prison or in custody. It is known that Ales quickly found out about the award. On December 10, 2022, in Oslo, the Nobel Peace Prize was received by Natallia Pinchuk, the wife of the Viasna chairman. On this day, for the first time in the history of the prize, the Nobel speech was delivered in Belarusian: Natallia also quoted some of Bialiatski's words:
"Ales could not hand over the text of his speech, he managed to tell me literally a couple of words. Therefore, I will share his thoughts with you — both the latest ones and those recorded earlier. These are fragments of his earlier statements, works, and reflections. Here are his thoughts about the past and future of Belarus, about human rights, and about the destinies of peace and freedom.
I am passing the floor to Ales.
“It so happens that the people who value freedom the most are often deprived of it. I remember my friends — human rights defenders from Cuba, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan. I remember my spiritual sister Nasrin Sotoudeh from Iran. I admire Cardinal Joseph Zen from Hong Kong. Now in Belarus, thousands of people are behind bars for political reasons, and they are all my brothers and sisters. Nothing can stop people’s thirst for freedom. The whole of Belarus is here in prison now. Journalists, political scientists, trade union leaders, and many of them are my acquaintances and friends... The courts are working like a conveyor belt. The convicts are transported to the penal colonies, and new waves of political prisoners take their place...
This award belongs to all my friends, human rights defenders, all social activists, tens of thousands of Belarusians who were beaten, tortured, arrested, and imprisoned. This award is a reward for millions of Belarusian citizens who stood up for their civil rights. It emphasizes the dramatic situation of human rights in the country.
I recently had a short dialogue.
“When will you be free?” they asked me.
“I’m free at heart anyway,” I answered.
My free spirit soars over the prison and over the maple leaf contours of Belarus.
I look inside myself, and it seems that my ideals have not changed, have not lost their value, have not faded. hey are always with me and I protect them as best I can. They are like cast gold, and they do not rust.
≤…≥
I am a human rights defender and therefore a supporter of non-violent resistance. I am not an aggressive person by nature, and I always try to behave that way. However, I also understand well that the good and the truth must be able to defend themselves. I keep peace in my soul as best I can, nurture it like a delicate flower, drive away anger. I pray that reality will not force me to dig up a long-buried ax and defend the truth with an ax in hand. Peace. May peace remain in my soul.
And on December 10, I want to repeat to everyone: “Have no fear!” This is what Pope John Paul II said in the 1980s when he came to the communist Poland. He didn’t say anything else then, but that was enough. I believe because I know that spring always comes after winter.
I have quoted Ales Bialiatski. And I will end my speech with shouts from his soul: Freedom to the Belarusian people! Freedom to Viasna! LONG LIVE BELARUS!"
Ales Bialiatski Awarded Nobel Peace Prize. His Wife Receives It
In an interview with Radio Svaboda, Ales Bialiatski said:
"I regard all international awards as clear and unmistakable signals sent by the international community to Belarus. Moreover, these signals operate on various levels. They are sent to the Belarusian people, and they say that the international community sees the Belarusian people, supports their struggle for democracy and for human rights. And to the Belarusian authorities: that there is a certain note of public attention that we are not happy with what you are doing with human rights, that you are not allowing people to live in peace. And somewhere further, fifth on the list, is the laureate himself. That's why the diplomatic, political, and public role of such awards is much greater than the very personality of the laureate. I understand it this way."
