“Freedom for Ales Bialiatski!“ – Solidarity Action in front of Parliament

Mariam Khurtsidze

On December 1st Human Rights Center held a protest action in front of Georgian Parliament and expressed its solidarity to Belarusian human rights defender, the Vice-President of International Federation of Human Rights Ales Bialiatski. The member organizations of Human Rights House Tbilisi also supported the action.

On November 24th of 2011, Minsk Court passed four and a half years imprisonment sentence against Ales Bialiatski and confiscation of property. He will have to serve his sentence under strict regime conditions. The President of Human Rights Center Viesna is accused of concealment of big amount of taxes.

The executive director of Human Rights Center stated at the action that he expresses solidarity to Ales Bialiatski and other human rights defenders in Belarus. “Our request is to free Ales Bialiatski who is arrested illegally. Actions in support of Ales Bialiatski are taking place in the whole world. We try to pressure Belarusian government by all means.”

Ales Bialiatski’s activity was completely transparent. He defended rights of victims of political repressions. Despite the lack of evidences, Ales Bialiatski was charged by the methods provoked by State Security Committee the goal of which was to stop the human rights activity of the organization Viesna and Bialiatski.

Human Rights Center called on the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko to free Bialiatski. Representatives of different NGOs sign the request.

Giorgi Janelidze, the editor of the video portal of Human Rights Center hridc.tv read a text of address of human rights defenders to President Alexander Lukashenko to the model of the President specially prepared for the action.

“We call on you to immediately withdraw charge and release the Vice-President of International Federation of Human Rights and the President of Human Rights Center Viesna Mr. Ales Bialiatski,” – reads the address of human rights defenders.

Human right defenders think that Bialiatski was illegally arrested. The means of mass media subjected to Belarusian government started intentional campaign against him which aims to stick label of enemy to famous human rights defender.