Ales Bialiatski behind bars.The award was presented in the categories The Human Rights Defender of the Year – 2011, The Lawyer of the Year – 2011 and The Journalist of the Year 2011.
The Lawyer of the Year award was presented to Maryna Kavaleuskaya, lawyer of Andrei Sannikau, and Darya Lipkina, lawyer of Mikita Likhavid (participant of December 19th case) , who were noted for their highest professionalism during the trial, as well as after its completion in defending the interests of their clients.
-THE SYMBOL OF PERSECUTION
The Journalist of the Year award was presented to masters of photo Yulia Darashkevich and Uladzislau Hrydzin.
The award to the head of the Human Rights Centre Viasna Ales Bialiatski was given to his wife Natallia.
Ales Belyatsky was imprisoned not only for his great personal contribution to the upholding of human rights in Belarus, he was punished "for all human rights defenders", he is the symbol of the persecution of all Belarusian human rights movement.
While presenting the award to the wife of Bialiatsk
Hary Pahaniayla.i – Natallia Pinchuk, lawyer of BHC Hary Pahaniayla (right) said:
– He is undoubtedly a courageous and proud person. He is a recognized historian and philologist, who has also been engaged in politics and advocacy for a long time. Today we are united in one desire: to secure the release of Ales Bialiatski from prison.
While accepting the award, Natallia noted that recently she has to get a lot of different awards on behalf of Ales, but she praised the one she got from the Belarusian colleagues as much more precious than others.
The human right
Tatsiana Raviakas defender, President of the Belarusian Human Rights House, Tatsiana Raviaka (left) commented on the selection of the winners:
– It was difficult to choose the winners in each category, as in the last year we saw a high level of professionalism both the lawyers working on cases involving human rights violations, and the journalists who covered the events of the year.
There was a proposal to award the lawyers who have been deprived of their licenses and in fact were banned from their profession for their principled position, but it was impossible not to mention those defenders who struggled for their clients during the investigation and in court.
A SIGN OF SOLIDARITY
It was also difficult to choose the best journalist: last year many of them have demonstrated journalistic talent and upholding the right for profession, themselves often being under real threat.
And yet we decided to choose those photographers that made possible not only for Belarus but for the whole world to see these events in our country: in fact, through their eyes, through these lenses, we looked at what was happening.
What concerns the category The Human Rights Defender of the year, we have also proposed a list of candidates, but almost unanimously Ales Bialiatski was elected – a man who for many years of advocacy work found himself behind bars.
This award to Ales is a recognition of his services, as well as a sign of solidarity and support for all of the Belarusian human rights community.
In this video, Bialiatskis friends and colleagues, as well as prominent persons of Belarus, are trying to identify the place of the human rights defender in Belarusian society, expressing their position on his arrest and prosecution.
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You can send your Christmas greeting cards for Ales Bialiatski on the following address: 222160, Minsk region, Zhodzina, prison #8, for Bialiatski A.V.
"Wish you a merry christmas and a happy new year! We are thinking about you" – it is short and simple, but for the person who has to celebrate the Christmas in prison it is a great support.
SEND GREETINGS TO ALES
Ales Bialiatski is going to celebrate this years holidays in prison. Please, send him your wishes and thoughts – both in English and Russian language. Use the phrase and address below.
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We are thinking about you.
C Рождеством и Новым годом! Mы думаем про Вас.
Address:
Беляцкому А. В.
Беларусь, 222160, Минская обл., г. Жодино,
ул. Советская, 22А, тюрма № 8,
Bialiatski A.V.
Belarus, 222160, Minsk region, Zhodzina,
ul. Sovetskaya, 22 A, prison #8
ABOUT THE AWARD
- National Prize for Human Rights is the successor of the professional award, established by Human Rights Alliance.
- This year nominees were determined by representatives of eight Belarusian human rights organizations.
- The organizations behind the award: the Belarusian Human Rights House, HRC Viasna, the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, the Belarusian Association of Journalists, Centre for Legal Transformation, Committee for Protection of the Repressed "Solidarity", Centre for Human Rights.
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