As the Polish Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, Human Rights House Network member in Poland, writes in an appeal, letters sent by Ales Bialiatski to his coworker Valiantin Stefanovich suggest that he is being persecuted by the authorities of the penal colony. During the last 6 months Ales Bialiatski received three reprimands. First, in January 2012, for wearing a wrong type of shoes, contrary to the regulations, the second in May 2012 for being in the workplace without a proper badge. Third reprimand received in June 2012, concerned the fact he was allegedly found sleeping in his workplace.

These actions indicate that prison authorities are trying to make Ales Bialiatski a “malicious offender” which would deprive him of the opportunity to be released.

Human Rights House Network members and partners have many times called for Ales Bialiatski to be immediately and unconditionally released, and compensated.

UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR NEEDED

The situation of Ales Bialiatski is the tip of the iceberg.
The United Nations Committee against Torture underlined indeed that the use of torture and ill-treatment in Belarus is systematic, both by police forces and in detention facilities.
HRHF’s Head of International Advocacy and Geneva Office Florian Irminger stated that the detention conditions of Ales Bialiatski are worrying. “If such a well-known human rights defender faces this kind of retaliation in prison, unknown prisoners might face even worse conditions.” HRHF calls upon the Human Rights Council to take action and appoint a special rapporteur on Belarus: “Ales Bialiatski’s situation simply highlights the systematic human rights violations, and the need of a permanent human rights monitoring mechanism on Belarus. A UN special rapporteur is a tool to do so.”

Bialiatski penalised for the third time

Ales Bialiatski informed about his “new status” in his letter from Babruisk colony: “Yesterday I got penalised for the third time this year. I received the first penalty while in quarantine – for wearing non-uniform shoes. This was one day before I was transferred to the unit, on 21 March. The second penalty I got the day before the meeting with my wife, on 16 May, for not wearing an identification badge in the sewing shop [the colony workshop where Bialiatski is forced to work]. And the third one, imposed on 2 June, was for sleeping in the section before lunch.

More information

HRHN letters calling for release of Ales Bialiatski:

FIDH’s call on Ales Bialiatski’s detention conditions:

On June 15, 2012, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders was informed of the existence of measures of reprimand and extra duty recently issued by the penitentiary administration against Ales Bialiatski. Such measures were communicated to HRC “Viasna” Vice Chairman Valiantsin Stefanovich in a letter written by Ales Bialiatski.

The Observatory fears that these new measures against Mr. Bialiatski only aim at depicting him as an offender, with the aim of depriving him from the possibility of benefitting from the amnesty law scheduled for July 3, 2012, and from other early release measures.

See the Observatory’s call

Media contacts:

Florian Irminger
Head of International Advocacy HRHF Geneva Office
Mob: +41 79 751 80 42
Email: florian.irminger@humanrightshouse.org  

Anna Gerasimova
Director, Belarusian Human Rights House 
Tel: +370 5 212 77 03 
Email: director.belarus@humanrightshouse.org