"We all need to save Ales and take action to secure his freedom" Photo
A solidarity rally with political prisoner human rights activist, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski took place on September 25, his birthday, near the Embassy of the Republic of Belarus in Vilnius. Here, there is a mural in his honor.
Viasna human rights activist Ales Burakou, opening the solidarity rally with his speech, stressed the main thing: "We all need to save Ales Bialiatski now":
"The Belarusian regime threw him behind bars for the first time back in 2011, and then he served three years. Now the human rights defender is imprisoned again and now, unfortunately, we do not see how this can end. What has to be said now is that Ales Bialiatski needs to be rescued immediately. Because it is not known what condition he is in now, it is not known at all whether he is alive, since there is so little information about him that it cannot be said that everything is fine with him. He's doing time with murderers and rapists, people he shouldn't be with. He should stand here with us, or in the new free Belarus.
With this demonstration, we show to the international community and the governments of the countries that we all need to save Ales and take all possible measures to ensure that the Nobel laureate, the leader of Human Rights Center Viasna, and just an excellent human rights defender, is free."
Human rights activist Aleh Matskevich said that for the second time in the modern history of European civilization, a man who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize is in prison, where he celebrates his birthday for the fourth year in a row. He has every chance to pass away without ever seeing either the freedom or the world again.
He drew a parallel with the first European Nobel Peace Prize winner who received it while behind bars, Carl von Ossietzky. Imprisoned, he was severely tortured and only after the Nobel Prize was awarded, he was transferred to a hospital under the supervision of the Gestapo, where he died on May 4, 1938 in the Nordend hospital under the close supervision of the Gestapo from the effects of tuberculosis and mistreatment that he endured in prison.
Human rights activist Alena Masliukova noted the importance of support for all political prisoners of Belarusians:
"People who have been through imprisonment, understand better than anybody why today we must fight for every person who is behind bars. After all, these people, recognized as political prisoners, are actually innocent. They are the pride and dignity of our country. That is why we are here today demanding freedom for the political prisoner and Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski, freedom for every political prisoner who is behind bars today. We have to be their support, we have to be their voice, we have to protect them by any means that are available to us."
The demonstrations were also held in other European countries.
Brussels
A demonstration dedicated to the birthday of Ales Bialiatski took place in the capital of Belgium.
On Ales Bialiatski's birthday, human rights activists of the Libereco international organization suggested gathering near the Belarusian embassy, where they handed over 82,281 signatures under a petition demanding the release of Ales and all Belarusian political prisoners.
About 30 people attended the rally. It was attended by MEPs, including German MEP Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmerman, as well as Belarusian human rights activist Leanid Sudalenka.
Klaipeda
Belarusians of Klaipeda supported Nobel laureate and human rights activist Ales Bialiatski.
On the occasion of Ales' birthday, the Belarusians of Klaipeda organized a small demonstration: they wrote letters to the human rights defender, and also talked about the ways to support political prisoners in Belarus.
Prague
"On Ales Bialiatski's birthday in Prague, as in other European capitals, we remembered our Nobel laureate and demanded the release of all political prisoners,” Siarhei Navumchyk wrote on his Facebook page.
Warsaw
Belarusians in Warsaw have congratulated the imprisoned human rights defender Ales Bialiatski on his birthday.
An evening of solidarity with political prisoner Ales Bialiatski, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was held in the Polish capital on September 25.
The demonstration took place near a well-known Polish human rights organization Karta. Dzmitry Salauyou, a Viasna human rights defender, Alina Koushyk, a representative of the United Transitional Cabinet for National Revival, and other politicians and public activists made speeches.
Białystok
A rally in support of Andrzej Poczobut, leader of the Union of Poles in Belarus, and Ales Bialiatski, head of the Human Rights Centre Viasna and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, took place in Białystok.
Traditionally, the rally took place near the monument to Priest Jerzy Popełushko.
