Byalyatski delivered to Financial Investigation Department (UPDATED)

15:32. Lithuanian Ministry of Justice: We did not expect political consequences

Deputy Minister of Justice Tomas Vaitkevičius has made the statement.


According to him, the Lithuanian Ministry of Justice did not expect that the information that contained the name of Ales Byalyatski could be used for political purposes.


"If something had pointed at the possibility of using their legal assistance for political purposes, we would not have rendered it. We do have the right not to render it. We did not pay attention to his name (Byalyatski. – Euroradio). We did not identify it as the name of a person leading the opposition movement”, - informs DELFI quoting the Lithuanian official’s excuses.

According to Vaitkevičius , there should be no political prisoners in the centre of Europe and Byalyatski’s incident is the first one. Vaitkevičius has called the decision made in Belarus good-for-nothing.  He has also expressed a hope that the legal gap would be “stopped” soon and that such incidents would not repeat.

14:13. Hromava: Byalyatski’s arrest is utter violation violations of international norms and standards

The deputy head of the International Observation Mission comments on the arrest of Belarusian human rights activist Ales Byalyatski.

Euroradio has interviewed Victoria Hromava, deputy head of the International Observation Mission of the Committee on International Control over the Human Rights Situation in Belarus on air. Listen to the whole interview here:

Euroradio: Has the International Observation Mission reacted to the arrest of Ales Byalyatski, head of the human rights centre “Vyasna”?

Hromava: “We have not made a public statement yet. However, the position of the International Observation Mission has been defined – we consider everything happening to Ales Byalyatski now to be a direct result of “Vyasna” and Ales’ human rights activities. We understand that everything happening now is an utter violation of the international norms and standards”.

13:39. Byalyatski may be released after interrogation in FID?

The human rights defender and his lawyer are being interrogated in the Financial Investigation Department now.


Human rights activist Tatstsyana Ravyaka has informed Euroradio on air that it is not possible to send a parcel to Byalyatski. He spent the night in Minsk Soviet District Department of the Interior. However, his wife managed to meet him in the morning to bring him some food. The detained human right defender looks brisk and optimistic.


The investigator has informed Byalyatski’s wife and colleagues about three possible scenarios after the interrogation. The charges may be lifted and the human rights defender will be let off. He may be detained for up to 10 days before charges are brought against him. Or charges may be brought right after the interrogation.

12:29. Lithuanian political scientist: Banks could present information without thinking about politics

The Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not made any comments yet.


It is difficult to assess the situation connected with the exposure of Belarusian non-governmental organizations’ accounts because no details about the person who made the decision are available. Political scientist Tomas Janeliūnas has informed the Lithuanian portal lrytas.lt about it.


“There are no necessary details at the moment – it is not clear whether the information was presented by Lithuanian banks or it was an automatic decision according to the international agreements and banking rules or it was connected with politics in some way”, - says Janeliūnas.


In the political scientists’ opinion, the information could be exposed without thinking about possible political consequences. Political pressure could also be exercised on a bank having affiliates or other interests in Belarus, thinks Janeliūnas.


Meanwhile, the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not commented on the possibility of presenting banking information to Belarusian partners yet.

11:46. Byalyatski delivered to Financial Investigation Department

Human right activist Tatstsyana Ravyaka has informed Radio Liberty about it.

Let us remind you that Ales Byalyatski spent the night in Akrestsina prison.

11:04. Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs protests against Byalyatski’s arrest

The Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed a protest in connection with the detention of Ales Byalyatski, head of the human rights centre “Vyasna”.

Lithuanian diplomats have also protested against the persecution of the human rights organization, informs the portal DELFI. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lithuania and its EU partners will continue taking measures in order to release political prisoners in Belarus.

 10:54. Human rights activist: There is a great element of truth in Halezin’s words

It is not clear where Ales Byalyatski is now.  

At least, he is not in Akrestsina prison. That is why his friends have not managed to send him food and personal hygienic items. Human rights activist Tatstsyana Ravyaka has informed Euroradio about it on air.

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Commenting on the statement about the detention of Byalyatski made by director of the Free Theatre Mikalai Halezin made yesterday, the human right defender noted that there was a great element of truth in his words.  Let us remind you that Halezin accused Lithuania of presenting information about Belarusian civil organizations’ accounts to the Belarusian authorities. It is said to be the reason for the detention of Byalyatski.

10:37. Lithuanian Foreign Office did not expose Byalyatski’s banking accounts

The administration of Lithuanian diplomats is preparing an official statement in connection with it.

Press secretary of the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Midaugas Lashas has informed Radio Racija about it.

Let us remind you that Mikalai Halezin expressed a thought that Lithuania had exposed the Belarusian civil originations and political activists’ banking accounts based in Lithuania to the Belarusian security services.  In Halezin’s opinion, it was the reason for the yesterday’s arrest of the human rights defender.

Ales Byalyatski spent the night in the detention centre in Akrestsina Street in Minsk. He was interrogated in the presence of his lawyer. Human rights activists claim that he will spend three days there. The decision whether to accuse him or not will be made later on.

09:12. EP President urges Belarusian authorities to release Ales Byalyatski

Jerzy Buzek’s appeal was published a few hours after the detention of the the Belarusian human rights defender.

The President of the European Parliament expresses astonishment in connection with the new wave of pressure directed against the human rights centre “Vyasna” and its head Ales Byalyatski. Jerzy Buzek has urged the Belarusian authorities to release the human rights activist and the other political prisoners, informs the Polish Press Agency.

Let us remind you that Ales Byalyatski was detained yesterday evening. Policemen searched the office of “Vyasna”, Byalyatski’s flat and summer house and took the human rights defender to the police office. He will probably be accused of large-scale tax evasion. Byalyatski may be imprisoned for up to 7 years for it.

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Let us remind you, people in plain clothes appeared near the office where the human rights defenders work. Two cars with these plain-clothes people were parked in the yard, and a district police officer was sitting on the bench near the entrance.

 
The reason for Bialiatski's detention is unknown. His phone is unavailable. 

Lawyer Uladzimir Labkovich has told in a comment to Euroradio that about 15 people in plain clothes were near their office. They let other human rights defenders leave, waiting only for Bialiatski, in Labkovich's opinion. When someone warned Bialiatski not to go to the office, the plain-clothed people left, only two of them stayed. Bialiatski was detained near his house in the Victory Square at about 17.00.

According to some information, there is a search at Bialiatski's apartment.