Ales Bialiatski: Release of political prisoners is our main task

International institutions should put pressure on Belarusian authorities to release political prisoners.

Ales Bialiatski, the head of Viasna human rights centre, said it in an interview with Radio Racyja.

“We have been working without official registration for more than 10 years, which, of course, creates certain difficulties. Nevertheless, the people working at human rights organisation are highly motivated,” he said. “One of the main tasks is to release political prisoners. We can work a lot in this direction. We must inform Belarusians about events in the country. Many simply don't know about the problem. We must give people true information and form public opinion on the problem of political prisoners.”

The human rights defender emphasised the importance of efforts at the international level aimed at the release of Belarusian political prisoners.

“We must share this information, so that political pressure is put on the Belarusian authorities with the demand to release political prisoners. The issue of political prisoners should be discussed at summits of the OSCE, the UN Human Rights Council, the Council of Europe. All international institutions should try to solve this issue through talks, statements and pressure on the Belarusian authorities.”

There are six political prisoners in Belarus. They face pressure in correctional facilities. Some of them were sentenced to additional terms of imprisonment, or their confinement conditions were tightened.

On May 28, political prisoner Yury Rubtsou was sentenced to two years of imprisonment under article 415 of the Criminal Code because he allegedly refused to work in an open-type correctional facility where he was serving a term for “insulting a judge”.

On May 4, confinement conditions for Mikalai Statkevich, who was serving his term in correctional facility No.7 in Shklou, were tightened until the end of his term (1 year, 7 months and 15 days). The politician was transferred to prison No. 4 in Mahilou on May 6.

On May 27, 2011, activist of the anarchist movement Mikalai Dziadok was found guilty by Minsk's Zavadski district court of violating part 2 of article 339 of the Criminal Code (hooliganism). He was sentenced to 4.5 years in a medium security correctional facility. The activist didn't admit his guilt and refused to apply for a pardon.

In November 2014, a new criminal case was opened against Mikalai Dziadok under article 411 of the Criminal Code (violating prison rules). On February 26, 5 days before the expiration of his term, Mikalai Dziadik was sentenced by Mahilou's Leninski district court to 1 year in a maximum security correctional facility.

On May27, 2011, judge Zhanna Khvainitskaya from the Zavadski district court of Minsk sentenced Ihar Alinevich to 8 years in a medium security correctional facility. He, Mikalai Dziadok and Aliaksndr Frantskevich were accused of organising a rally near the Ministry of Defence, attacking the Shangri La casino and the detention centre in Akrestsin Street as well as putting the door of a Belarusbank office on fire.

Yauhen Vaskovich got 7 years of imprisonment for an attempt to set the door of a KGB office in Babruiski on fire.