The 4th of August marks the first anniversary of the imprisonment of Ales Bialiatski, the leader of Belarusian human rights organization "Viasna" and vice president of the International Federation for Human Rights. This date will be marked by...
The 4th of August marks the first anniversary of the imprisonment of Ales Bialiatski, the leader of Belarusian human rights organization "Viasna" and vice president of the International Federation for Human Rights. This date will be marked by demonstrations throughout Europe. Prisoners in Belarusian prisons are often subject to inhuman treatment and heavy pressure to make them plead for a pardon or even confess. This is unacceptable, and the Steering Committee of the Civil Society Forum as written to the authorities in Belarus calling for their immediate release. See the statement attached.
The Steering Committee demands that Ales Bialiatski be released so that he can continue his important work for human rights in his own country, Belarus, and elsewhere. The free and unimpeded work of human rights activists such as Ales is a precondition for the progress and development of Belarusian society.
The Civil Society Forum's statement calls on the EU member states, the EU institutions and the governments of the Eastern Partnership countries to raise the question with the Belarusian government on all possible occasions and demand the immediate release of Ales Bialiatski and revocation of his sentence.
Catherine Ashton,
Vice-President, European Commission
and High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, European Council
Štefan Füle,
European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy,
Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Eastern Partnership countries,
Ministers of Foreign Affairs, EU member states
Brussels, 30 July 2012
Statement demanding the immediate release of Ales Bialiatski
The 4th of August marks the first anniversary of the imprisonment of Ales Bialiatski, the leader of Belarusian human rights organization "Viasna" and vice president of the International Federation for Human Rights. This date will be marked by demonstrations throughout Europe. Prisoners in Belarusian prisons are often subject to inhuman treatment and heavy pressure to make them plead for a pardon or even confess. This is unacceptable.
We demand that Ales Bialiatski be released so that he can continue his important work for human rights in his own country, Belarus, and elsewhere. The free and unimpeded work of human rights activists such as Ales is a precondition for the progress and development of Belarusian society.
We call on the EU member states, the EU institutions and the governments of the Eastern Partnership countries to raise the question with the Belarusian government on all possible occasions and demand the immediate release of Ales Bialiatski and revocation of his sentence.
Steering Committee, Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum
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