Katrin Göring-Eckardt, Vice President of the German Bundestag has taken on a prisoner’s godparenthood for Ales Bialiatski and states:
“The Prisoner’s Godparenthood campaign for the political prisoners in Belarus was initiated by human rights organisation Libereco – Partnership for Human Rights to support the prisoners and their relative.
I have taken godparenthood for the the Chair of the Belarusian Human Rights Center Viasna, Ales Bialiatski, who also serves as the Vice-President of the International Federation for Human Rights. He was detained on 4 August 2011 within the framework of a criminal case investigated under Article 243. 2 of the Belarusian Criminal Code (“concealment of profits on an especially large scale”). This carries a sentence of up to 7 years imprisonment with confiscation of property.
As Belarusian and international human rights organizations do, I believe his detention is politically motivated and intended to obstruct his legitimate work as a human rights defender. For over two months, Ales Bialiatski has been imprisoned on demand now and is currently not allowed to write or receive letters. Therefore I regard Ales Bialiatski as a prisoner of conscience of President Lukaschenko and call for his immediate and unconditional release and the guarantee for the protection of his life and physical condition.”
We all are Ales: http://www.facebook.com/WeAllAreAles
