On July 18, the UN Working group on Arbitrary Detention published a document in which it recognizes the imprisonment of Belarusian human rights defender, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski as a violation of international law and demands his immediate and unconditional release.
The Working Group called on the successful Belarus to “immediately release Bialiatski and grant him the right to compensation and other reparations in accordance with international law,” as well as to ensure a full and independent investigation of the circumstances of his detention and bring those responsible to justice.
On July 18, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (FIDH-OMCT) and the Human Rights Center “Viasna” issued a joint statement on the third anniversary of the detention of “Vesnovets” Uladzimir Labkovich, Ales Bialiatski and Valiantsin Stefanovich, in which they once again called on the Belarusian authorities for the immediate and unconditional release of imprisoned human rights defenders in Belarus.