Nobel laureate Bialiatski sentenced to 10 years in prison in Belarus
A court in Minsk, Belarus, has sentenced Nobel laureate and political prisoner Ales Bialiatski to 10 years in prison, while three other human rights activists received from seven to nine years in prison.
Source: Viasna Human Rights Centre
Quote from Viasna: "Judge Maryna Zapasnik passed the following sentences to the Viasna leaders:
- Ales Bialiatski, Viasna Chair and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, received 10 years in a high-security penal colony
- Valiantsin Stefanovic, Viasna Deputy Chair and Vice President of FIDH, received nine years in a high-security penal colony
- Uladzimir Labkovich, Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections campaign coordinator, received seven years in a high-security penal colony."
Details: The court also sentenced human rights defender Zmitser Salauyou to eight years in a penal colony in absentia.
The human rights defenders were charged under Article 228.4 (smuggling by an organised group) and Article 342.2 of the Criminal Code (financing of group actions that grossly violate public order).
According to the prosecution, the human rights defenders, "acting as part of an organised group from 4 April 2016 to 14 July 2021, in order to use the money received from various structures and funds in Belarus for illegal activities and financing of the Viasna Centre and other organisations, cashed out money received from various structures and funds to the bank accounts of a foreign organisation under their control".
According to the case file, the convicts "in the above-mentioned composition and with other persons prepared citizens to participate in group actions that grossly violated public order, as well as provided funding and material support for such actions under the guise of human rights and charitable activities, including on behalf of the Viasna Human Rights Center, an unregistered BY_HELP foundation, in the period from May 2020 to 14 July 2021".
In particular, the human rights defenders are accused of paying fines, paying food bills in detention centres, and paying for the work of lawyers.
Bialiatski, Stefanovic and Labkovich pleaded not guilty.
It is reported that at the trial, the judge did not satisfy any of the requests (for the trial to be held in Belarusian, for the removal of handcuffs, for time to familiarise themselves with the case, etc.).
Bialiatski called the case against the human rights activists political persecution.
On the eve of the verdict, international human rights organisations issued a statement and reiterated their calls for the release of the human rights defenders and the dropping of all charges against them.
On the evening of 2 March, solidarity rallies were held in the Polish cities of Warsaw and Gdańsk in support of the Viasna activists.
The Viasna human rights defenders have been detained since 14 July 2021.
Ales Bialiatski is a Belarusian human rights activist and head of Viasna. Amnesty International recognised him as a prisoner of conscience. In 2022, Bialiatski won the Nobel Peace Prize.
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