YEREVAN. – The Helsinki Association organized a picket today, in front of the Belarusian Embassy, in defense of Ales Belyatsky (photos), director of “Vesna” Human Rights Center and deputy chairman of the International Federation of Human rights. The picketers demanded the release of their colleague and termination of the political manhunt against Belyatsky. During the demonstration, Helsinki Association director Michael Danielyan submitted to the Embassy’s first secretary the signatures and letter to that effect. We hope to reach success, by way of peaceful demonstrations, and to see the release of Belyatsky, Danielyan told Armenian News -NEWS.am.   

Ales Belyatsky is under arrest for already one month, and the Belarusian authorities took him into custody on apparent political motives: alleged tax evasion. The human rights defender faces 7 years in prison.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, international organizations, NGOs, and governments of foremost countries have expressed concern over the persecution against Ales Belyatsky and assessed his detention as the authorities’ revenge for Belyatsky’s human rights activities and an attempt to monger fear among civil society. They demand that the human rights defender be released forthwith. 

Amnesty International has recognized Ales Belyatsky as prisoner of conscience. Information on Belyatsky’s case can be accessed here.     

Demonstrations in defense of Ales Belyatsky will be simultaneously organized in several countries, including Russia, the Ukraine, and Kyrgyzstan. 

Nine-hundred signatories from different countries will make a petition today toward changing Belyatsky’s restraint order and guaranteeing that he would not evade investigation.