Ales Bialiatski, Valiantsin Stefanovic and Uladz Labkovich of Viasna detained (updated on July 19)

  • by EECA
  • 15 July 2021

At least 13 human rights activists were detained, including eleven Viasna employees, as a result of a large-scale attack on human rights defenders in Belarus. While most of them were released after 72 hours of arbitrary detention, four Viasna members, FIDH’s Vice-President Valiantsin Stefanovic, Viasna’s Chairman Ales Bialiatski, Uladz Labkovitch and his wife Nina Labkovitch, were officially charged and transferred to Valadarskaha prison. Symbolically, the sweeping crackdown followed the adoption of the UN HRC resolution, on July 13, denouncing the human rights situation in Belarus. FIDH condemns the reprisals against Viasna’s employees and calls for their immediate liberation, as well as for the release of other human rights defenders in the country.

Between July 14 and 16, 2021, authorities conducted searches in the apartments of 11 Viasna employees, including its Chairman Ales Bialiatski, Board member Valiantsin Stefanovic and lawyer Uladz Labkovich. Following the searches, eight of them were detained for 72 hours, presumably, as part of a criminal case opened against the organisation under Part 1 and 2 of Art. 342 (Organisation and financing of group actions that grossly violate public order) and Part 2 of Art. 243 of the Criminal Code (tax evasion). While some of them were released on July 17, three Viasna members were officially charged and transferred to Valadarskaha prison. The detained activists might be facing up to 7 years of prison sentence (maximum punishment under Part 2 of Art. 243).

Around twenty other organisations were targeted by this attack, searches were conducted in at least 30 offices of human rights and media organisations and apartments of human rights defenders and media. Overall, 13 individuals were detained, including those of Viasna.

These arbitrary arrests form part of a new wave of repression against Viasna and other NGOs which have been subject to continuous acts of harassment since August 2020, when these organizations mobilized to help thousands of victims of ongoing repressions. Four of Viasna’s staff, including a volunteer Andrei Chapyuk, Leanid Sudalenka, Tatsiana Lasitsa, and Maria (Marfa) Rabkova, remain under arbitrary arrest.

A list of arbitrarily detained human rights defenders of Viasna, officially charged and transferred to Valadarskaha prison:

  1. Ales Bialiatski, Viasna’s Chairman
  2. Valiantsin Stefanovic, Viasna’s Deputy chairman
  3. Uladzimir (Uladz) Labkovich, Viasna’s lawyer
  4. Nina Labkovich, Managing Director at Belarus Business Angels Network, Uladzimir Labkovich’s wife

A list of arbitrarily detained human rights defenders of Viasna, who were released:

  1. Siarhei Sys, Viasna’s HRD and journalist (under a travel ban, still facing charges)
  2. Alena Laptsyonak, Viasna’s HRD (might be under a travel ban and still facing charges)
  3. Andrei Paluda, Viasna’s HRD (might be under a travel ban and still facing charges)
  4. Viktar Sazonau, Viasna’s HRD at Hrodna office (might be under a travel ban and still facing charges)
  5. Ales Kaputski, Viasna HRD (might be under a travel ban and still facing charges)
  6. Yauheniya Babaeva, Viasna HRD (might be under a travel ban and still facing charges)
  7. Andrei Medvedev, Viasna HRD (might be under a travel ban and still facing charges)

Ales Bialiatski, Valiantsin Stefanovic, Uladzimir Labkovich and his wife Nina Labkovich, detained on July 14, have been recognised as political prisoners.

A list of arbitrarily detained human rights defenders of other organisations:

  1. Mikola Sharakh, head of Polack division of the free trade union (released, might be under a travel ban and still facing charges)
  2. Siarhei Matskevich, Community Centre HRD (released, might be under a travel ban and still facing charges)

Organisations targeted by the Belarusian law enforcement agencies during the 14-15 July attack:

  1. Belarusian Helsinki Committee;
  2. Viasna’s office on Merzhynsky Street in Minsk;
  3. Belarusian Association of Journalists;
  4. Lawtrend Legal Transformation Center;
  5. Human rights organisation “Gender Perspectives”;
  6. Belarusian PEN Centre
  7. Center for Information and Legal Support of Socially Unprotected Populations “Advocacy”;
  8. Platform “Territory of Rights”;
  9. Names;
  10. Movement for Freedom!;
  11. Association of Belarusians of the World “Fatherland";
  12. BEROC Center for Economic Research;
  13. Office of European Expertise and Communication;
  14. Third Sector Center;
  15. Lev Sapega Foundation;
  16. Union of Belarusian Writers;
  17. Youth Employment Assistance and Support Office “YularKansalt”
  18. sociological laboratory “Novak";
  19. United Civic Platform party;
  20. BNF political party

Flats of the following activists have been searched between July 14 and 16:

  1. Ales Dzerhachou, Viasna HRD;
  2. Aleh Matskevich, Viasna HRD;
  3. Maryna Statkevich, a former member of Viasna;
  4. Vasil Levchankau, former member of Viasna;
  5. Ihar Kazmerchak, HRD and Orsha.eu editor;
  6. Kiryl Kafanau,member of Human Constanta;
  7. Tamara Matskevich,Belarusian School Association;
  8. Volha Smalyanka, director of Lawtrend;
  9. Katsiaryna Siarheyeva, director of “Names”;
  10. Katsiaryna Sinyuk, founder of “Names”;
  11. Safia Yemelyanava, Chair of the Board of the POST Education Center;
  12. Volha Belyautsova, a member of the United Civil Party;
  13. Viktar Yanchurevich, Deputy Chairman of the Movement for Freedom!
  14. Natalia Rabava, Director of the School of Public Administration Managers SYMPA / BIPART;
  15. Artur Yusupau;
  16. Yaraslau Ramanchuk, economist;
  17. Anatol Lyabedzka, politician;
  18. Lera Som, poetess;

At the time of writing, FIDH continues to receive information about new detentions and searches.