Amnesty International calls to release prisoner of conscience Dzmitry Paliyenka

Amnesty International calls for the immediate and unconditional release of prisoner of conscience Dzmitry Paliyenka.

He was detained on July 27 less than 48 hours after serving 17 days of an unjustified 45-day term of administrative detention.

“The administrative persecution, including the administrative detention of Dzmitry Paliyenka, is a form of harassment of the activist - one of many who suffered flagrant human rights violations on the eve of the presidential election. The new sanctions against Paliyenka are a continuation of the policy of oppression of the activist, which he has repeatedly faced solely for the exercise of his human rights,” Amnesty International said.

The Belarusian authorities should immediately and unconditionally release Dzmitry Paliyenka and all those who were persecuted as part of the escalation of the policy of suppressing human rights in Belarus. The authorities must ensure that the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and expression are fully respected in line with Belarus's international human rights obligations.

In August 2017, Amnesty International called Dzmitry Paliyenka a prisoner of conscience after the activist was sentenced to 2 years in prison following a politically motivated trial.