Poland’s ombudsman to hand Paweł Włodkowic Prize to Ales Bialiatski


Ales Bialiatski, a Belarusian human rights defender and ex-political prisoner, has become holder of Paweł Włodkowic Prize for defending truth and universal human values. 

Paweł Włodkowic (ca. 1370 – 1435) was a distinguished scholar, jurist and rector of the Cracow Academy who defended Poland and native non-Christian tribes against the Teutonic Knights and its policies of conquest.

An event on the occasion of International human Rights Day is to be held in the Polish Senate (upper Chamber of the Parliament) today at 7 pm. Watch the ceremony on the Polish ombudsman’s website.

The Senate is also expected to present a report on pressing problems of violating human rights in 2014.

In November, 2011 Ales Bialiatski, Vice-President of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), was sentenced to 4.5 years of imprisonment in a medium security penal colony and seizure of property for alleged tax evasion. The fact of his holding bank accounts in Poland and Lithuania gave the grounds for criminal prosecution. The cash standing to the credit of accounts was used for human rights defence activity: the centre financially supported the people affected by Lukashenka’s regime. In court Bialiatski stated that he had no other possibility of getting financial aid from foreign backers. Having spent over 1,000 days in jail, Ales Bialiatski was released in June, 2014.

www.belsat.eu/en

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