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A series of special events designed by FIDH is taking place now. These activities aim to achieve the release of political prisoners, among whom is now vice president of FIDH, the head of the Human Rights Centre “Viasna” Ales Bialiatski. 11 more political prisoners were released on 14 September. The Human Rights House Foundation has prepared a special statement to the UN Human Rights Council

On 29 August, Aliaksandr Lukashenka spoke of the need of negotiations between representatives of the European Union, Russia and the Belarusian opposition of “whatever political camp they belong to.” In response to these words of the President the HR Centre “Viasna” released a declaration stating that the main condition for negotiations is the release of political prisoners.

Belarus can still hear the echoes of Minsk “mass riots” case which happened after the presidential elections on 19 December 2010. The political prisoners are beginning to be released in small groups, but the lawyers who worked with the accused ones continue to be disbarred.

The authorities banned the pickets in defence of arrested human rights defender Ales Bialiatski, that were supposed to be held on 22 of August in 18 Belarusian cities. Nevertheless, on 23 August, the solidairty actions took place in several Belarusian towns but ended up with detentions.

On 12 August Ales Bialiatski was charged under Part 2 of Art. 243 of the Criminal Code (concealment of income on a large scale). The term of Ales Bialiatski’s custody was extended for another two month. Human rights defenders consider it as a prosecution for civic activities and continue to collect personal guarantees for Bialiatski.

9 international NGOs sent a joint letter to Belarusian Prosecutor General of the City of Minsk to urge that Ales Bialiatski be released from custody on his own recognizance pending the investigation against him.

On 8 August human rights defenders and representatives of the Belarusian civil society began a campaign to collect pledges for the release of the arrested chairman of the Human Rights Centre “Viasna” Ales Bialiatski (right). They encourage citizens to send their petitions asking the authorities to use personal guarantee as a measure of restraint for Ales Bialiatski.

On August 5, Human Rights House in Vilnius held a press conference dedicated to the arrest of the prominent Belarusian human rights activist Ales Bialiatski. The members of Human Rights Centre “Viasna” Valiantsin Stefanovich and Andrei Paluda uncovered new details of the arrest of famous human rights defender during the press conference.

On 4 August 2011, Ales Bialiatski, Chair of the Human Rights Center Viasna in Belarus, was detained in Minsk. We see his detention as a direct result of Ales Bialiatski’s legitimate activities in defense of human rights in Belarus. We call upon the Belarusian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Ales Bialiatski and to stop the criminal persecution of human rights defenders, journalists, lawyers and activists in Belarus.