On 23 August, human rights defenders Zmitsier Salauyou, Maryna Statkevich, Aleh Matskievich, Alena Laptsionak and several activists held an information rally on October Square in Minsk, where they called to sign personal guarantee for Ales Bialiatski.
Participants of the rally wore black T-shirts with the inscription “Freedom to Ales Bialiatski” and handed out leaflets with information about the activities of the Chairman of Human Rights Centre “Viasna” Ales Bialiatski. However, the action lasted about 10 minutes, as the police detained all the participants and took them to the central police station. All the detainees were released only after the compiling a report, photographing and fingerprinting. More than 500 leaflets were confiscated.
On 23 August a solidarity action in support of Bialiatski was held by Hrodna human rights defenders. Social activists were handing out special newsletters about the arrest of Ales Bialiatski. At the end of the action regional human rights activist Viktar Sazonau was arrested by three plain-cloth men, who took him to the police station.
After some time the public office on Budzio
nny street, as well as the apartment of Viktor Sazonau underwent so-called “inspection of the premises,” authorized the prosecutor of Leninski district of Hrodna. Two system units were confiscated, as well as 7 “Freedom for Bialiatski!” T-shirts , leftovers of newsletters and flyers supporting the arrested, human rights editions.
After some time, Viktar Sazonau was released after the police compiled a report for the illegal manufacture of printed products.
On 23 August, rally in support of Ales Beliatski was organised by human rights defenders in Mahiliou. Human rights defenders and social activists distributed in the centre of Mahiliou several hundreds of booklets about Ales Bialiatski who is now in custody and facing a long prison sentence. During the coverage of the action civi activist Pavel Varashylau, journalist Alina Skrybunova and cameraman Yauhien Hlushakou were detained. Within 2 hours all detainees were interviewed and released without compiling a report.
Collecting pledges continues
Despite the fact that in response to the first submited guarantees, investigation body refused to change the measure of restraint for human rights defender allegedly due to lack of grounds for doing so, the collection of pledges continues. Several hundreds of them are planned to be handed over to the Prosecutor’s Office this week. According to human rights defender Uladzimir Labkovich, it does make sense to file guarantees.
“Clearly, the man was illegally detained. There are absolutely no reason to keep him in custody, from a legal point of view. This decision was political, and therefore it will be cancelled politically as well. We have Mr. Bialiatski – one of the most valuable hostages, taken by the current regime. And whether ot not he is free will depend only on this. As this case has nothing to do with the legal point of view. This is an solely political reprisal, and the investigation has no evidence of this money being Bialiatski’s income. The investigation knows for sure that the money is aid to political prisoners. So there is a political reprisal, which was planned long ago, and there were looking for one minor reason to start this,”- said Labkovich.
Human rights defenders say they will continue their activities because it was “the most important of his requests.”
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