Ales Bialiatski: all people of good will are interested in having a democratic Belarus

December 9, the Paris City Hall hosted an event dedicated to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The party was organized by the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the City of Paris.

The event was attended by famous French human rights activists, artists, journalists and athletes, as well as by its organizers, including the mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo, FIDH President Karim Lahidji, and Vice-President Ales Bialiatski.

Several months ago, the newly elected mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo warmly greeted the Belarusian human rights activist Ales Bialiatski. In her speech she said that last year, when Aliaksandr Bialiatski was awarded a honorary citizenship of Paris, he could not be present because he was in prison, and expressed joy over the fact that Ales was in the hall, together with all those present. "Multi-million Paris has always supported the fight for human rights in different countries, including Belarus," said the mayor.

In his speech Ales Bialiatski urged people to continue supporting the efforts of the Belarusian people to freedom. He expressed confidence that this time would inevitably come, and all people of good will are interested in a democratic Belarus, secure and developed European country. "Although I have spent more than two years in a penal colony on the River Berazina, but this" Berazina "(a word, which means a “crash” or a “catastrophe” that in French after the defeat of the French army on the Berezina River in 1812) awaits those who suppress freedom in Belarus, who illegally imprisoned me, who don't let the Belarusian people live with dignity," said Mr. Bialiatski.