General documents - Joint statement on the sentencing of Ales Bialiatski, Valianstin Stefanovic and Uladzimir Labkovich to long prison terms in Belarus - Delegation for relations with Belarus

Joint statement by:

• the Vice-President responsible for the Sakharov Network, MEP Heidi HAUTALA,
• the Chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights, MEP Udo BULLMANN,
• the Chair of the Delegation for relations with Belarus, MEP Juozas OLEKAS, and
• the European Parliament's Standing Rapporteur on Belarus, MEP Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS

Brussels, 3 March 2023 - "Today, a rubber-stamp court in Minsk found Sakharov Prize and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, founder of the Viasna human rights centre Ales Bialiatski guilty of 'smuggling' and 'grossly violating public order' and sentenced him to ten years in a penal colony and a heavy fine. His colleagues, member of the board of Viasna and Vice-President of the International Federation for Human Rights Valianstin Stefanovic, and Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections campaign coordinator Uladzimir Labkovich, were handed down sentences of nine and seven years, respectively, while human rights defender Zmitser Salauyou was sentenced to eight years in abstentia. [...]