In a letter received on 17 November, bailiff of Minsk Pershamaiski Court informed Natallia Pinchuk, the wife of the Head of the organization Ales Bialiatski, that "Viasna" office would be confiscated on 26 November.  

For the last 12 years the office of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" was located in an apartment which was bought in 2000 and registered for a private person as decided by the Board of "Viasna". Officially, Ales Bialiatski was registered there. According to the court ruling this office is to be confiscated.

Deputy chairman of "Viasna" Valiantsin Stefanovich noted that the notification about the confiscation came as no surprise to the members of the organization:

“This, of course, complicates our lives. But in any case we will continue working. We were prepared for this. Indeed, it has had a long history. Since August, the court decision has been in force and was to be executed. It is all a bit strange that we were allowed to stay here for so long, and even worked during the elections – and we were doing observation then. We have been waiting, and now there is a specific date – November 26. Although, of course, we’re sorry, because we have worked in this office for 12 years. In fact, all Belarusian activists know our address. For us it is very important that the office is well-known, recognized, and people, if something happens, could know where to find us. But, nevertheless, we ourselves do not disappear, we will continue to work”.

On 25 January, members of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" moved part of their property from their office in Minsk, but said that they would remain in the premises until the end.

***

Head of HR Center "Viasna" Ales Bialiatski (left) was sentenced by Pershamaiski Court of Minsk on false charges under article 243 part 2 of the Criminal Code to 4 years and 6 months imprisonment in a maximum security penal colony with confiscation of property and recovery of the alleged damage to the state.

On 18 January 2012 the required amount, which had been collected by citizens during the campaign to raise funds for Ales Bialiatski, was transferred to the account of the Minsk Department of Justice for damages to the state allegedly caused by the convict. These funds were paid in order to secure the release of the political prisoner or change of the preventive measure and mitigate the extremely harsh sentence.

On 24 January 2012 Minsk City Court dismissed the cassational appeal of the human rights defender and upheld the guilty verdict of the court of first instance. On 20 September 2012 the Supreme Court dismissed Bialiatski’s supervisory appeal concerning the sentence.

Complaint on behalf of the Chairman of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" and Vice President of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) Ales Bialiatski was registered in the UN Human Rights Committee.

Related articles

Human rights defenders held initial consultations with the UN Special Rapporteur on Belarus

Another human rights organisation is being liquidated in Belarus