6 months since the detention of Viasna’s chairperson Ales Bialiatski, deputy chairperson and FIDH’s Vice-President Valiantsin Stefanovich and lawyer Uladzimir Labkovich
- by
- 17 January 2022
14 January marked 6 months since the detention of Viasna’s chairperson Ales Bialiatski, deputy chairperson and FIDH’s Vice-President Valiantsin Stefanovich and lawyer Uladzimir Labkovich. Since that day, the three Viasna activists have been in custody and the Minsk offices of Viasna have been sealed. Overall, seven Viasna’s human rights defenders are currently behind bars for carrying out their legitimate human rights work.
The international community must maintain pressure on the Belarusian authorities to:
- Fully abide by their international human rights obligations as a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
- Fully respect and protect the work of human rights defenders.
- In line with these obligations, release Marfa Rabkova, Andrei Chepyuk, Tatsyana Lasitsa, Leanid Sudalenka, Ales Bialatski, Valiantsin Stefanovich, and Uladzimir Labkovich immediately and unconditionally, drop charges against them and other Viasna staff and volunteers, and ensure their right to a remedy for unlawful persecution.
