Bialiacki Alies

Born in 1961, Ales graduated from Department of Philology of Gomel State University in 1984.

In 1986, together with independent young writers Anatol Sys and Adam Hlobus, he was a founder of a “Tuteyshiya” [“The Locals”] community. They participated in the first independent meetings and actions already in 1987. In December of the same year, at the First independent Seim (Assembly) of the Confederation of Belarusian Communities, they initiated creation of the association of Belarusian youth. The program of political changes adopted during the Seim further formed the bases of Belarusian Public Front’s program.
 
Bialiatski was among those who founded “Passional of Belarus” – the first Belarusian human rights organization – on October 19, 1988, he was also a member of the organizational committee of Belarusian Public Front. He was 27 at that time. Literally several weeks after, on October 30, 1988, a legendary demonstration Dziady was held in Minsk. Bialiatski was arrested and sentenced to a fee of 200 Soviet roubles as the organizer of the event.
 
During the period of 1989 to 1998 and after his post-graduation studies, Bialiatski was Head of Maksim Bahdanovich Literature Museum. The Museum became one of the centers of civil society – about 50 various NGOs were registered at its premises. The Museum on Rabkorauskaya street was home of the Board of the Belarusian Public Front. Hundreds of events were held there, books were published every year.
 
On the wave of repressions in the spring of 1996, Ales Bialiatski founded a human rights organization with the name “Spring”. Up to the year of 2003 when the organization was liquidated by the Belarusian authorities, it managed to create a strong nationwide structure. “Viasna” was forbidden, searches were conducted, equipment was confiscated, Ales was arrested during demonstrations and pickets. Despite an illegal status in its home country, “Viasna” is a full member of the international community of human rights organizations. Being actually liquidated by the state, “Viasna” became a member of the International Federation for Human Rights – FIDH, and Ales Bialiatski became its Vice-President.
 
In 2006 Ales Bialatski was honored by Vaclav Havel with a “Homo Homini” award – an award given to human rights defenders from all over the world. Ales was nominated to the Nobel Peace Prize in the same year of 2006.
 
On October 3, 2011, an organization committee was formed to nominate Ales Bialiatski to the Nobel Peace Prize of 2012.
 
On August 4, 2011, Ales Bialiatski was arrested. He was accused of tax evasion on a large scale (Part 2 of Article 243 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus). Lithuanian Ministry of Justice of Polish Prosecutor General’s Office submitted information about international bank accounts of Ales Bialiatski to the Belarusian authorities. Financial aid for those who suffered from repressions of the Belarusian authorities was transferred to these accounts.