PACE declares “strong solidarity” with political prisoners in Belarus

April 25, BPN. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) expressed “strong solidarity” with political prisoners in Belarus and Russia at the opening of the Assembly’s spring plenary session in Strasbourg on April 24.

PACE leaders honored the past winners of the Václav Havel Human Rights Prize, including jailed Nobel Peace Prize winner Aleś Bialacki and opposition activist Maryja Kaleśnikava. They also expressed support for “hundreds of other brave people” currently held in Belarusian and Russian prisons on politically-motivated charges. 

“You have friends from the 46 member states of the Council of Europe,” PACE President Tiny Kox told Bialacki’s wife Natalla Pinčuk who attended the event. “We are together with you in these extremely difficult times,” he added.

On April 21, the Minsk City Court upheld lengthy prison sentences against Bialacki and his associates from the Viasna Human Rights Center. They were tried for allegedly financing protests in Belarus and smuggling cash for their human rights work.

Kaleśnikava, former campaign manager of presidential hopeful Viktar Babaryka, is currently serving an 11-year prison term on charges widely seen as politically motivated.