European MP Marek Migalski supports Hrodna human rights defenders
On 5 January the Leninski District Court of
Hrodna sentenced each of the three human rights activists to 1.5
million rubles of fine for a photo with portraits of the head of the
Human Rights Center "Viasna" Ales Bialiatski.
The
member of the European Parliament Marek Migalski has put this issue
on the agenda of the European Commission, asked it to intervene and
stand against the harassment of civil activists in Belarus.
Mr.
Migalski added that the human rights defenders Uladzimir
Khilmanovich, Raman Yurhel and Viktar Sazonau had photographed one
another with portraits of Ales Bialiatski and brochures with the text
of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in order to mark the
Human Rights Day, 10 December 2012.
The Hrodna police
qualified it as an "unauthorized picket". As said by Marek
Migalski, the wave of reprisals against Belarusian civil activists
and oppositionists keeps growing. Citizens are still deprived of the
rights to express their views and take part in peaceful protest
actions.