Ales Bialiatski Quotes…
Ales Bialiatski is the founder and chairman of the Human Rights Center Viasna and former vice president of the International Federation for Human Rights (2007-2016).
Over 25 years of activity, Bialiatski has received numerous prizes in the field of human rights: in 2006 – the Swedish Peer Anger Prize, the Andrei Sakharov Freedom Award, the Homo Homini Award (awarded by Václav Havel); in 2011 – Human Rights Defender of the Year Award, Norwegian Writers’ Union Award for Freedom of Speech; in 2012 – the U.S. State Department’s Award, Lech Wałęsa Award, Petra Kelly Award; in 2013 – PACE’s Václav Havel Human Rights Prize; in 2020 – the Right Livelihood Award. He has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize five times. Ales is the author of several books.
Ales Viktaravich Bialiatski, was arrested on July 14, 2021, in a series of criminal investigations targeting the organization’s leaders and regular members for their human rights activities and assistance to people in defending their rights and public interests known as Viasna case.
The 2022 Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to human rights advocate Ales Bialiatski from Belarus, the Russian human rights organization Memorial and the Ukrainian human rights organization Center for Civil Liberties.
Ales Bialiatski Quotes
“The main thing is not to get depressed and not to be sad. I believe that everything will be alright soon. And what does not kill us makes us stronger”
“To be sincere, I feel uncanny when reading such letters. It always seems that it is not for me and not about me. By quoting them I feel at ease. I think, moreover, I am convinced that now these words sound not for me alone.”
“I received a postcard from Kenya, from relatives and some guys who I know quite well. I remember one of them since the time he was three year old… To be on the safe side, they wrote the address as: EUROPE, BELARUS. Maybe this is well-justified in Africa. But it looks quite symbolic, Belarus in Europe. We still need to get conscious about it and understand it.”
“Being the recipient of the prestigious Right Livelihood Award imposes an additional obligation. I fully realize that it is a historical combination of circumstances, namely the tragic and wonderful struggle of my people for justice, their sacrifices and selflessness, that have led to the fact that human rights work in Belarus this year has become more necessary and relevant than ever. This award is a sign of moral support for all Belarusians who are striving for democratic change. I hope that the international attention that the prize attracts will help make the work of the Human Rights Centre “Viasna” in Belarus more meaningful and less dangerous.”
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“It was from Ales Viktorovich Bialiatski, that I realized what the value of a Person with a capital letter is – what is at the heart of the concept of human rights. Therefore, now, when I feel hopelessness, despair especially acutely, when I don’t see the light, I always remember Ales.
This man, despite the fact that there were more obstacles than any favorable conditions, back in 1996 he managed to create and maintain a large human rights organization “Viasna”, which has always been and remains not to the liking of the Belarusian authorities. Because of the activities of the “Viasna” Ales and other human rights defenders are being held behind bars”( human rights activist Dziyana Pinchuk)
