Belarus – Sentencing of 2022 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski to 10 years in prison (3 March 2023)

France denounces the sentencing of human rights defender and 2022 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski to 10 years in prison.

This sentence testifies yet again to the Belarusian authorities’ unprecedented policy of repression carried out against the peaceful protest movement that emerged following the fraudulent presidential election of August 9, 2020, and against all those who are critical of the Belarusian government.

As the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has stated, Mr. Bialiatski’s trial was very clearly motivated by political considerations. France therefore calls on the Belarusian authorities to release and rehabilitate Mr. Bialiatski immediately and unconditionally, along with all political prisoners in Belarus.

France once again applauds the courage and selflessness of human rights activists, independent journalists, opposition figures and simple citizens who are fighting for a transparent, democratic Belarus that respects basic rights.