Who is Ales Bialiatski?

March 6, 2023

Ales Bialiatski is a Nobel laureate and the co-founder of the Viasna human rights group, which had been at the forefront of providing legal and financial aid to those who were imprisoned during protests against the long-time leader Alexander Lukashenko. This Belarusian received Nobel Peace Prize in 2022 for his role in promoting human rights and democracy. He shared the award with the Russian rights group Memorial and Ukraine’s Center for Civil Liberties.

Who is Bialiatski?

Bialiatski has been awarded 10 years of imprisonment by the Belarus Court. He was arrested in 2021 along with two other individuals from his organization. His human rights organization for charged with smuggling and violation of public order. He is noted for his role in pro-democracy protests since the 1980s. This isn’t the first time he is being arrested. He was imprisoned in the 2011-14 period for tax evasion. He was again targeted by the authorities in 2021 for his anti-government protests.

What is the Viasna Human Rights Group?

It is a Human Rights organization located in Minsk. The organization provides financial and legal assistance to political prisoners. It was founded in 1997. The organization played a major role in the 2020-2021 Belarusian protest. It was one of the biggest protests in the history of Belarus. The protests were related to the 2020 presidential elections. After the 2020 Presidential election, Alexander Lukashenk sought the sixth term as the President of the country. The protests were nicknamed the Slipper Revolution.

Who is Alexander Lukashenko?

He has been the President of Belarus ever since the country was established in 1994. With this, he is the longest-sitting European President. Between 1975 and 1977, Alexander served in the Soviet Border troops. He was an instructor. In 1979, he joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. After the controversial 1995 referendum, Alexander dismissed the Supreme Soviet of Belarus (the legislature of Belarus). He is now supporting Russia in the Ukraine war. Belarus allowed Russian troops to travel through their country to invade Ukraine in 2022.

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