UN makes a stand for Aleg Volchak

The UN’s special reporter on independent judicial system and advocacy expressed her support to the Belarusian human rights activist.

Aleg Volchak met the UN’s special reporter on independent judicial system and advocacy Gabriela Knaul at a conference in Warsaw.

The human rights defender told her about the conditions in which the Belarusian human rights movement has to operate, about the obstacles which the state keeps inventing, about the situation with Ales Bialiatski. ALeg Volchak also told about his own experience for being arrested for an interview to the charter97.org web-site and him being in fact limited in his freedom of travel.

“During the conference a was given an opportunity to talk to the UN’s special reporter on independent judicial system and advocacy Ms Gabriela Knaul. I briefly described the situation with human rights defenders in Belarus, in particular, about the impossibility to operate legally, that all our activities are on the constant control of the special services. The situation around Belarusian human rights activists is much worse than the one in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia or other CIS countries. The state ignores all our legal appeals concerning observation and protection of human rights and basic freedoms. I told how I was twice illegally held responsible according to the Administrative Code. Despite me having all the reasons for being discharged, the court sentenced me to an administrative arrest. I told that human rights defenders are constantly undergoing various repressions. Ales Bialiatski is called to criminal account on made up grounds of investigation. Law enforcement bodies constantly create obstacles for us to practice human rights activities. I told that some human rights defenders were forbidden to leave the country, that in the state media the information about human rights activists is presented in a very insulting manner. Ms Gabriela Knaul said that all the information will be taken into consideration by her working group”, - Aleg Volchak told the web-site protivpytok.org.