CCR Condemns Arrest of Aliaksandr Bialiatski, Vice President of FIDH

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The Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) condemns yesterday’s arrest and detention of Aliaksandr (Ales) Bialiatski, President of the Human Rights Center Viasna in Belarus and Vice-President of the International Federation of Human Rights, of which CCR is a member.  Mr. Bialiastski remains in detention today.

Mr. Bialiastski’s arrest takes place in a context of repression and human rights abuses that have plagued Belarus following the presidential elections of December 2010.

Katherine Gallagher, Senior Staff Attorney at Center for Constitutional Rights and Vice President of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) stated today: "Ales Bialatski has been arrested for doing no more than working to ensure respect for the fundamental rights of all citizens of Belarus. The promotion and defense of human rights is not a crime. Ales must be released immediately."

The Center for Constitutional Rights is dedicated to advancing and protecting the rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Founded in 1966 by attorneys who represented civil rights movements in the South, CCR is a non-profit legal and educational organization committed to the creative use of law as a positive force for social change.