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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 works with communities under threat to fight for justice and liberation through litigation, advocacy, and strategic communications. Since 1966, the Center for Constitutional Rights has taken on oppressive systems of power, including structural racism, gender oppression, economic inequity, and governmental overreach. Learn more at ccrjustice.org.