Alies Bialiacki - Paris’ Honorary Freeman

Alies Bialiacki, currently imprisoned Belarusian human rights advocate, was bestowed the title of an honorary freeman of Paris.

The nomination was initiated by the Mayor of Paris and the City Council of the 11th arrondissement (Paris’ administrative district).

Alies Bialiacki was sentenced to 4½ years in prison allegedly for tax evasion. However, the real reason for the imprisonment became his human rights activity.

In May 2012, Souhayr Belhassen (President of FIDH), Patrick Bloch (Mayor of the 11th arrondissement of Paris) and Pierre Schapira (Deputy Mayor of Paris, the Commissioner for Foreign Relations) installed a big portrait of Alies Bialiacki before the mayor’s office of the 11th arrondissement.