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The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and Human Rights Centre “Viasna”, released a joint statement in which they expressed deep outrage at the large-scale and systematic acts of pressure and repressions of political prisoners in Belarus.

The human rights organization “Amnesty International” has summed up the international letter-writing marathon of solidarity with prisoner of conscience Ales Bialiatski (right), the Vice-President of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the leader of the Human Rights Centre “Viasna”, dissolved by Belarusian authorities.

In its intervention on 5 March 2013 at the Human Rights Council, the Human Rights House Foundation called upon Belarus to immediately and unconditionally release Ales Bialiatski, drop all charges against him and fully rehabilitate him. Pending his release Ales Bialiatski should be provided access to all medical support he needs and his prison conditions should not impact on his health.

Committee to Protect Journalists called on the Belarusian authorities to stop pressure on the Belarusian journalist Iryna Khalip (right). The chairman of the Belarusian Association of Journalists Zhanna Litvina also spoke about difficulties of Khalip’s and other Belarusian journalists’ work at a meeting of the General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE.

The EU highlighted the issue of human rights in Belarus as important for discussion at the next session of the UN Human Rights Council. One of the speakers during the session will be the Special Rapporteur on human rights in Belarus, Miklós Haraszti, who met with Belarusian media on 18 February.

Priorities of the Human Rights House Network at this session: Azerbaijan, Belarus, Russia, and human rights defenders and peaceful protests.

In meetings in Kyiv from the 18 to 20 February 2013, the Special Rapporteur on Belarus had the occasion to meet international and Belarusian media experts as well as human rights defenders and victims of human rights violations in Belarus.

Liubou Kavaliova, the mother of Uladzislau Kavaliou, who was executed for Minsk metro bombing, was declared the “Person of the Year 2012 in Vitsebsk”. Vitebsk is a Belarusian city, where Uladzislau Kavaliou and Dzmitry Kanavalau, both accused of the terrorist act organization, grew up.

Member of the European Parliament Marek Migalski (right), who initiated the campaign of solidarity with two political prisoners – the leader of the “Young Front” Zmitser Dashkevich and former presidential candidate in the 2010 elections Mikalai Statkevich,- appealed to the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs with a request to meet with them in prison.