Many members of HRC “Viasna”, among them Ales Bialiatski, Valiantsin Stefanovich, Uladzimir Labkovich, Leanid Sudalenka and Tatsiana Lasitsa have spent almost a year in prison without any trial. The reprisals against “Viasna” and its members are part of a broader crackdown on civil society in Belarus.
Yesterday on April 25, The Minsk City Court started hearings in the trial against “Viasna” member Marfa Rabkova and volunteer Andrey Chapiuk. Both are being prosecuted on politically motivated charges and face up to 20 years and 8 years of imprisonment respectively.
Today, we want to express our support for “Viasna” and call for their immediate and unconditional release of its members, as well as all arbitrarily imprisoned human rights defenders in the country.
Read the whole statement here.