UN calls for Belarus to put charges targeting Nobel Peace Prize laureate Bialiatski
(MENAFN) The UN Human Rights Office on Friday called for Belarus to drop charges against Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Ales Bialiatski and two other rights protectors.
"Bialiatski faces up to 12 years in jail. Two other representatives of his Viasna Human Rights Center are also facing prison sentences. We have serious concerns about the conduct of their trial," according to Jeremy Laurence, spokesperson for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, in a declaration, saying that the UN is "gravely concerned" by the trial which started on Thursday.
"We call for the charges against them to be dropped, and their immediate release from detention," Laurence advised.
Bialiatski, his deputy Valiantsin Stefanovic, and Viasna’s lawyer Uladzimir Labkovich were detained in July 2021, after mass protests against the regime 3 years ago. He was previously detained from 2011 to 2014.
The trio are blamed of trafficking, illegal movement of cash in the customs border, and financing group actions “grossly violating the public order."
MENAFN08012023000045012476ID1105398261
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.