Minsk court turns down appeal against Bialiatski’s pre-trial detention

On 16 August, Minsk Pershamaiski District Court dismissed a complaint appealing the pre-trial restrictions of personal liberty imposed on Viasna’s leader Ales Bialiatski following his arrest on 4 August.

Ales Bialiatski, Chairperson of the Human Rights Center Viasna and vice-President of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), was detained on 4 August 2011 within the framework of a criminal case brought under Part 2 of Article 243 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus, "Concealment of income on a large scale". This article envisages up to seven years of imprisonment with confiscation of property.