Human rights activist Ales Bialiatski was arrested after major protests against Alexander Lukashenko in Belarus. He is now in court alongside two fellow campaigners, Valentin Stefanovich and Vladimir Labkovich. Viasna tweeted photos showing Bialiatski in the courtroom, and said he and his fellow defendants face between 7 and 12 years in prison. In March 2023, Bialiatski was convicted on charges of smuggling and financing actions that 'grossly violated public order,' and sentenced to 10 years. Bialiatski wears a yellow name tag on his prison garb in Penal Colony No. 9 in eastern Belarus, marking him as a political prisoner for harsh treatment.
Bialiatski was arrested in 2021 amid raids by Belarus's KGB. He was transferred to Penal Colony No. 9 in 2023, and his wife Natalia Pinchuk hasn't heard from him since August. A food parcel sent by Pinchuk to Bialiatski was returned in November, indicating bleak conditions. Bialiatski is accused of smuggling cash to fund opposition activity. He is labeled an 'extremist' by Belarusian authorities, leading to denial of medications, food parcels, contact with relatives, forced labor, and stints in punishment cells.
Bialiatski won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022 for his human rights activism. He set up Viasna in 1996 in response to the brutal crackdown of street protests that year by Lukashenko, who has been president since 1994. Viasna supported jailed demonstrators and their families, and documented how authorities tortured political prisoners. Bialiatski was jailed for three years in 2011 after being convicted on tax evasion charges, which he denied.
The 2020 election in Belarus was denounced as fraudulent, triggering mass anti-government protests and a harsh crackdown with thousands of arrests. Demonstrators in 2020 were met with brutality by police, and Lukashenko critics were regularly arrested and jailed.
Viasna was targeted by authorities because it helped victims of repression pay fines and lawyers, and Bialiatski was 'the face of the organisation.'
Nearly 65,000 people have been arrested since 2020 in Belarus, with many alleging beatings or torture in custody. Activists say at least seven people have died behind bars in Belarus since 2020.
Authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko often claims Belarus has no political prisoners, but activists say it currently holds about 1,300 of them.
Tsikhanouskaya's husband, activist Siarhei Tsikhanouski, is imprisoned and hasn't been heard from for nearly 700 days. Lukashenko has pardoned some political opponents recently, but critics say it's a revolving door with simultaneous arrests in a continuing crackdown.
Belarus will hold a presidential election on Jan. 26 with no real opposition candidates, assuring a seventh term for Lukashenko.
Government authorities have repeatedly sought to silence Bialiatski.
Bialiatski's supporters say Lukashenko's regime is trying to silence him. According to www.bbc.com, Hanna Lubiakova described that Viasna was targeted by authorities because it helped victims of repression pay fines and lawyers, and Bialiatski was 'the face of the organisation.' Berit Reiss-Andersen, head of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, stated in a press conference that government authorities have repeatedly sought to silence Bialiatski.
Bialiatski's case serves as a powerful symbol of Belarus's human rights crisis, reflecting the broader struggle for democracy and freedom in the country. His imprisonment under harsh conditions, despite his Nobel Prize, draws attention to the regime's disregard for international norms. The ongoing crackdown has isolated Belarus on the world stage, leading to sanctions and diplomatic tensions. Bialiatski's fate underscores the catastrophe in the center of Europe that Lukashenko's regime has plunged Belarus into.
Several unknowns persist regarding Bialiatski's situation and the broader context. What specific evidence supports the smuggling and financing charges against Bialiatski has not been disclosed by authorities. His current condition and exact location in Penal Colony No. 9 remain unclear, adding to concerns about his well-being. The status of the ongoing court proceedings involving Bialiatski and his fellow campaigners is also uncertain.
Further unknowns complicate the assessment of Belarus's political prisoner crisis. How many political prisoners are currently held in Belarus, and what are the verification methods for activist estimates, remains a point of contention, as official figures are not provided. The government's denial of torture allegations lacks specific details or investigations, making it difficult to verify claims from detainees.