Mobilisation 25 November 2011 in front of the Belarus Embassy in Paris to demand the release of Ales Bialiastki, FIDH Vice President and President of the Human Rights Center “Viasna”

22/11/2011
Press release
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Ales Bialiatski, FIDH Vice President and President of the Human Rights Center “VIASNA” has been in prison in Belarus since 4 August 2011. His trial started on 2 November 2011. He may be sentenced up to 7 year in prison. The verdict is expected on Thursday 24 or Friday 25 November.

[bleu]Mobilisation in front of the Belarus Embassy in Paris to demand the release of Ales Bialiastki, FIDH Vice President and President of the Human Rights Center “Viasna”[/bleu]

Friday 25 November
from 1:45 to 2:45 pm
across from the Belarus Embassy
(38 blvd Suchet, Paris 75016)

FIDH is urging that an international show of solidarity in support of the FIDH Vice President be held in all countries where it has an office or a member organisation.

In Paris, the members of the FIDH International Bureau from Turkey, Morocco, Egypt, Argentina, United States, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Finland, Mauritania, Palestine, Zimbabwe, Thailand, Mexico, Tunisia, Malaysia and Armenia will gather in front of the Belarus Embassy to condemn the arbitrary detention of their Vice President and demand his immediate and unconditional release.

They will be accompanied by Pierre Tartakowsky, President of LDH France, Vo Tran Nhat, Executive Secretary of the Vietnam Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CVDDH) Karim Lahidji, President of the Iranian League for the Defence of Human Rights (LDDHI), Guissou Jahangiri, President of the Armanshahr Foundation/OPEN ASIA and a representative of the Lao Movement for Human Rights.

The plan is to send a large number of balloons and a giant kite flying.

Events have been arranged by FIDH member organisations on the same day on all the continents, for example:

  • Brussels (Belgium) with the Belgian Human Rights League (ROND-POINT SCHUMAN @ 01:00PM)
  • Buenos Aires (Argentina), with the Legal Action Committee (LAC) ,
  • Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), with Citizens Against Corruption (CAC) et Kylym Shamy
  • Tbilissi (Georgia), with the Human Rights Information and Documentation Center (HRIDC)
  • Helsinki (Finland), with the Finnish League for Human Rights (FLHR)
  • Zagreb (Croatia), with the Civic Committee for Human Rights (CCHR)

THE FACTS

Ales Bialiatski, FIDH Vice President and President of the Human Rights Center “VIASNA” has been in prison in Belarus since 4 August 2011. He is accused of large-scale tax evasion.

His trial started on 2 November 2011. He may be sentenced up to 7 year in prison. The verdict is expected on Thursday 24 or Friday 25 November.

“Ales Bialiatski was arrested to illustrate a political will to destroy and discourage human rights activists in Belarus. FIDH and its member organisation, Viasna, will guarantee the innocence of Ales Bialiatski and call for his immediate, unconditional release” , said Souhayr Belhassen, FIDH President.

“Since the presidential elections in December 2010, the Belarus authorities have intensified repressive measures against human rights defenders. Ales did not escape from the line of logic that destroys all freedom, and we fear that the authorities will turn this trial into an example to dissuade any and all opponents from speaking up” , stressed Artak Kirakosyan, FIDH Secretary General .

For more information on the circumstances of Ales Bialiatski’s arrest and the trial procedures, go to: http://freeales.fidh.net/pages/liberez-ales-bialietski

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