Bielorussia/Processato Belyatski

Trial over Ales Belyatski has Started in Minsk

Today, November 2, 2011, the trial over Ales Belyatski, the head of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” and Vice President of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) has started. The case is conducted by Pervomaiskiy district court of Minsk (the judge Sergey Bondarenko), but the hearing takes place at Moskovskiy district court (Gazety Pravda avenue, 27).

From 9am buses containing SWAT teams were stationed around the building. Parking was prohibited on the area in front of the court. People began to gather opposite the doors into the chamber where the hearing was to be held – human rights activists, journalists, representatives of democratic societies, and the suchlike.

By the beginning of the hearing the chamber was packed out. Belyantski’s wife did not appear at court. One human rights defender asked her not to come. Not only were many human rights activists there but also diplomats from both the EU and the USA.

At the beginning of the hearing the judge refused a motion from Belyatski to change his measure of restraint and for the proceedings to be conducted in Belorussian.

Since August 4, Ales Belyatski is detained in investigative isolation ward #1 of Minsk. He is charged with violation of p.2, Art.243 (concealment of income in extremely large size) of the Criminal Code of Belarus. He can be sentenced up to five years of limitation of freedom or imprisonment from three to seven years with deprivation of property or without it also with deprivation of right to hold certain posts.

The reason for persecution of the human rights defender was the information about his accounts in foreign banks, which was given to Belorussian authorities by the Ministry of Finance of Lithuania and by Prosecutor General’s Office of Poland.

International human rights organizations, leadership of EU, the USA and other democratic states demand the release of Ales Belyatski. Amnesty International has recognized Belyatski as a prisoner of conscience.

On September 5 International Society “Memorial” came out with declaration “Freedom for Ales Belyatski” (http://www.memo.ru/eng/news/2011/09/06/0609111.html), “Memorial’s” employees participated in silent picket in support of Ales near Belorussian embassy in Moscow (http://www.memo.ru/eng/news/2011/09/02/0209111e.html).

We will keep you updated about how events unfold in Minsk.

November 2, 2011

http://www.memo.ru/eng/news/index.htm