BCD activist Ales Halavan decided not to return to Belarus
After participation in a the seminar of Young Christian Democrats in RigaAles Halavan, 27-year-old Vitsebsk activist of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party, a leader of the youth democratic coalition of Vitsebsk region, left in the hotel his passport and a written statement of his decision not to return to Belarus.
Ales Halavan belongs to the Orthodox confession. He has been an activist of the Young Front since 2000. Later he became a BCD activist. He underwent repeated politically motivated repressions and persecution.
Bear in mind that on 27 September, during the visit of Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and Whole Russia, to Belarus, Halavan was detained by the police for handing out the Pramen and Krynitsa bulletins and other BCD production. While keeping him at the police station the police officers allowed provocative expressions concerning his religious beliefs and the Belarusian language. In his official complaint the BCD activist presented a detailed description of the insults he had to hear.
On 30 September Ales was severely beaten by unidentified persons. While beating him they ‘passed greetings’ from Kalinouski (the head of the Kastrychnitski district police department of Vitsebsk) and Skarnynovich (officer of the Kastrychnitski DPD responsible for mass events). The BCD activist often met with both of them during street actions.
At present there are no contacts with Ales Halavan. His passport was passed to the Belarusian Embassy in Riga. The Latvian police state they have no information about him.
Ales’ friends think he could take such decision in connection with the latest events, namely the death of the civil activist Valiantsin Dounary and the recent police-related ‘kidnappings’ of youth.
