Political prisoner Ales Bialiatski thanks singer Loreen for support

“Dear Loreen,

I would like very much to thank you for the moral support you gave me last year during your visit to Minsk and this year during an international meeting of human rights defenders in Stockholm.

I am very pleased with a purely human attention of yours to my fate and the fate of my family. I want to tell you that the continued support of me, my wife and my son help me find it easier to go through the difficult situation in which I am now. But they need support, too. So for me your meeting with my wife Natallia was very important. With your attention and open stand towards human rights you break the stereotype of a pop singer, which has been thus improving. I also like to break stereotypes, and in this we are similar. For a year from time to time the local radio has broadcast your song. And each time I received from you a piece of your energy.

Infinitely grateful,

With respect,

Ales Bialiatski”

Loreen, winner of the song contest “Eurovision-2012”, during her visit to Belarus in July 2012 met with Natallia Pinchuk, the wife of political prisoner Ales Bialiatski. And this year, during a speech at the Human Rights Defenders Days organized by the organization Civil Rights Defenders in early April in Stockholm, Loreen sent her greetings to the Belarusian political prisoner from the stage. Chairman of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” and Vice-President of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) was arrested on August 4, 2011 and on politically motivated charges sentenced to 4.5 years in prison for his human rights work.