Ales Bialiatski (Алесь Віктаравіч Бяляцкі) - is the founder and chairman of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" and former vice-president of the International Federation for Human Rights (in 2007-2016).
Over 25 years of activity, Ales Bialiatski has received numerous prizes in the field of human rights: in 2006 - the Swedish Peer Anger Prize, the Andrei Sakharov Freedom Award, the Homo Homini Award (awarded by Václav Havel); in 2011 - Human Rights Defender of the Year Award, Norwegian Writers' Union Award for Freedom of Speech; in 2012 - the U.S. State Department's Award, Lech Wałęsa Award, Petra Kelly Award; in 2013 - PACE's Václav Havel Human Rights Prize; in 2020 - the Right Livelihood Award. He has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize five times. Ales is the author of several books.
Ales Bialiatski was arrested on July 14, 2021 as part of a criminal case. His home and the organization's office were searched.
Bialiatski faced charge of "tax evasion" (Art. 243 of the Criminal Code).
On September 26, 2022, it became known that the criminal charges of ‘tax evasion’ under Part 2 of Article 243 of the Criminal Code against Valiantsin Stefanovich, Ales Bialiatski, Uladzimir Labkovich, and other Viasna members were dropped. However, Bialiatski, Labkovich, and Stefanovich were not released from custody as they were charged with ‘smuggling’ by “having illegally moving cash across the customs border of the Eurasian Economic Union in large amounts by an organized group” under Part 4 Article 228 of the Criminal Code and with ‘the financing of group activities, grossly violating public order’ under Part 2 Article 342 of the Criminal Code. It is known that the state's claims remain for the same amount of money, which appeared in the charges for tax evasion.
The three political prisoners now face from 7 to 12 years in prison.
On December 10, the International Human Rights Day, in Oslo, the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony took place. This year, three nominees received the prestigious award at once: the head of Viasna Ales Bialiatski, the Ukrainian Center for Civil Liberties and the Russian Memorial human rights group. The human rights defender Ales Bialiatski could not personally receive the award — he has been behind bars under criminal charges for 17 months. That is why his wife Natallia Pinchuk received the award on behalf of Ales Bialiatski.
The Lieninski District Court of Minsk set the trial date in the criminal case against Viasna human rights defenders: chairman and Nobel Peace Prize 2022 laureate Ales Bialiatski, his deputy Valiantsin Stefanovich, and Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections campaign coordinator Uladzimir Labkovich. Zmitser Salauyou, another defendant, has left Belarus and will be tried in absentia.
Judge Maryna Zapasnik will preside over the trial, which begins on January 5, 2022.
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Support Ales by writing to him:
SIZO-1, 220030, Minsk, vulica Valadarskaha 2 (Belarus)
Ales Bialiatski (Аляксандру Віктаравічу Бяляцкаму)