Op 13 juli werd in Den Haag een tentoonstelling geopend gewijd aan Ales Bialiatskyi, de oprichter en hoofd van het mensenrechtencentrum "Viasna", de laureaat van de Nobelprijs voor de Vrede 2022.

Belarussen in Nederland en publieke en politieke figuren uit het land hielden toespraken tijdens de opening. De vertegenwoordiger van de vereniging van Belarussen in Nederland, MÁRA, sprak over zijn kennismaking met Ales en hoe hij werd geinspireerd door Ales, maar ook over zijn persoonlijke strijd voor mensenrechten. Valeria Kalesnik, een politieke vluchteling uit Belarus, deelde haar verhaal over haar deelname aan protesten en haar arrestatie. In haar toespraak vestigde Valeria ook de aandacht op de verschrikkelijke situatie omtrent politieke gevangenen in Belarus en de behoefte aan internationale steun voor de democratische beweging van Belarussen. Christie Miedema van Libereco benadrukte dat het mensenrechtencentrum Viasna de Nederlandse prijs “Human Rights Tulip” won en sprak over de #WeStandBYyou-campagne gewijd aan politieke gevangenen van Belarus, waaraan al veel parlementariërs uit verschillende landen hebben deelgenomen. Vincent Thepass, vertegenwoordiger van de politieke partij GroenLinks en de Haagse gemeenteraad, benadrukte het belang en de symboliek van de tentoonstelling die plaatsvindt in Den Haag, de stad van vrede en gerechtigheid, en bod een samenwerking aan tussen de Haagse gemeenteraad en de Belarussische gemeenschap.

Wij presenteren onder uw aandacht de tekst van Valeria's toespraak:

Today, I want to share a personal story about the struggles many people face in Belarus. In 2020, I joined peaceful protests in Minsk for fair elections and democracy. What started with hope quickly turned into chaos as the police used force against us. I was arrested and taken to a dark cell where my basic rights were ignored. After being interrogated and tortured, I was finally released, but many of my friends are still in prison. They are teachers, journalists, doctors, developers, mothers, and activists—ordinary people fighting for a free Belarus.
These prisoners aren’t just numbers—they are real people with courage and stories of sacrifice. We need to hear their voices. Since August 2020, Belarusian authorities have arrested over 40,000 people for political reasons and started at least 12,000 criminal cases against them. Right now, there are over 1,500 political prisoners in Belarus. Human rights groups say 250 of them are in serious danger because of their health. The 2023 Moscow Mechanism report says that political prisoners are, quote, “being deprived of adequate food, water, and medical assistance, and subjected to constant beatings, overcrowded and unheated cells, and sleep deprivation.”
Many political prisoners, like Maksim Znak, Viktar Babaryka, Mikalai Statkevich, Siarhei Tsikhanouski, Ihar Losik, and Maria Kalesnikava, have no contact with the outside world. Because of this terrible treatment, many are at risk of getting very sick or even dying.
One case is especially tragic: Vitold Ashurak, a political activist, died in a penal colony under suspicious circumstances.
Behind these numbers are real people with families, dreams, and a strong hope for a better future. This fight is our fight, and we cannot ignore their suffering.
The behaviour of the police and security forces in Belarus has been terrible. Peaceful protesters have faced extreme violence, tear gas, rubber bullets, and water cannons. In detention centres, many people have been beaten, tortured, and treated very badly. They are crammed into overcrowded cells without enough food, water, or medical care. These brutal acts are meant to break the spirit of those who stand up against the regime.
These atrocities cannot go unnoticed. The world should wake up and start protecting people from dictatorship and violence. We must stop peaceful Belarus from being dragged into a terrible war against independent Ukraine. The continued imprisonment and mistreatment of these people show how urgently we need international action and solidarity. We must stand with them and fight for freedom and peace.
We cannot be afraid, because this fight is not just for us—it is for the truth and for human rights. It is a fight against violence, dictatorship, and imperialism that have no place in the 21st century. Every free voice matters, and every small action counts.
Thank you and long live Belarus!

De tentoonstelling wordt gehouden van 13 juli tot en met 9 augustus in Het Atrium Den Haag, Spui 70, Den Haag (Gemeente Den Haag, ingang Forum zijde) en is geopend tijdens de openingstijden van het Atrium. De toegang is gratis.

Medeorganisatoren van de tentoonstelling: Malanka Media, Atrium City Hall, MÁRA - Vereniging van Belarussen in Nederland. Met steun van de Europese Commissie.

Ieder van ons kan Ales Bialiatski en andere politieke gevangenen steunen en de petitie ondertekenen.

Of doneer geld aan het mensenrechtencentrum “Viasna” https://www.patreon.com/spring96