Pickets for freedom of all political prisoners

Today members of the Human Rights Center “Viasna”, together with representatives of other civil organizations and parties file applications for pickets in support of the imprisoned head of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” Ales Bialiatski and other political prisoners all over Belarus.

They intend to hold pickets at least in 17 cities of Belarus on 4 August, as Ales Bialiatski was detained on 4 August 2011 and subsequently sentenced to 4.5 years of imprisonment for alleged tax evasion.

Human rights defenders and civil activists wear T-shirts “Freedom to Ales Bialiatski” to express their protest and demand an immediate release of all political prisoners.

In Baranavichy, civil activists Siarhei Housha, Viktar Syrytsa and Viktar Meziak applied to the city executive committee for authorizing thee picket in support of Bialiatski and other political prisoners, which they intend to hold at 5.00-6.00 p.m. on 4 August in the old culture and recreation park in Kamsamolskaya Street. The organizers undertook to protect the public security and health during the event and clean the territory after the end of the action.

In Orsha, participants of the Coordinative Board of Democratic Forces, while taking the decision to direct representatives to the joint sitting of the Vitsebsk Region Executive Committee and the Vitsebsk Region Council at which constituency election commissions were formed, also decided to file a joint application for authorization of a picket on 4 August, at which they indent to demand cessation of the political prosecution of Ales Bialiatski. The application was filed to the Orsha City Executive Committee in the morning of 10 July.