Ales Byalyatski deprived of family visits for 6 months

However, the prison administration would not elaborate on the reasons for this. Human rights defenders claim Ales Byalyatski and other political prisoners are under pressure from the authorities who keep trying to get pardon appeals from them, while the Minsk has resumed talks with the European Unions.

Ales Byalyatski will have the next "scheduled" meeting with the relatives in August only.

Human rights defender Ales Byalyatski was sentenced to 4,5 years in prison tax evasion in November 2011. Byalyatski did not plead guilty and said that all the money received on his accounts was spent on human rights-related activities. The European Union, the United States and international human rights organizations treat Ales Byalyatski as a political prisoner and have demanded his immediate release.