Bialiatski’s wife: Nobel Prize money will wait for Ales
Belarusian human rights activist, head of the human rights center “Viasna” Ales Bialiatski received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022, already in prison. The award in Oslo was received by his wife. Natalia Pinchuk gave a powerful and moving speech about what Bialiatsky has worked on for nearly three decades – about freedom, democracy and human rights in Belarus. Three months later, on March 3, 2023, the 60-year-old human rights activist received 10 years in prison, his colleagues from the human rights center Viasna Valentin Stefanovich – 9 years and Vladimir Labkovich – 7 years.
They were accused of “smuggling” money for human rights activities and “funding protests”. Bialiatski and his colleagues at the Viasna human rights center supported those detained during protests against the fraudulent 2020 presidential election. The international and human rights community called the politically motivated trial and sentences “an insult to justice”.
DW spoke with Natalia Pinchuk about her husband’s sentence, the Nobel Prize, the war, repressions, her current life and hope.
DW: How do you personally feel about what’s going on?
Natalia Pinchuk: I took the verdict seriously – I am aware of the conditions in which Ales and other political prisoners find themselves. The experience of the first arrest of Ales (the human rights activist was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison in 2011, served 3 years, Lukashenko was released under pressure from the West. – Red.) aggravates the situation. You know what’s behind it.
10 years is a huge time. In Belarus, those who oppose the authorities are sentenced to 25 years… For some people, this is a sentence until the end of their lives, given their age and unbearable conditions in prisons. The term of 10 years is aimed at harming a person’s health and destruction, it is impossible to calmly perceive it.
– Do you think the Nobel Prize influenced the verdict?
– An open process is most likely a response to the award, the desire to show that it means nothing to the authorities, to challenge the West. The authorities tried to make the human rights defenders look like criminals, to show the sentence not as politically motivated, but to link them to smuggling… They failed.
– Has the award changed anything in relation to Belarus?
– The main thing is that the award drew attention to the terrible things that are happening in Belarus. Daily terror, repressions that have not ended since 2020, hundreds of people arrested, every day – arrests. Fifteen hundred political prisoners is a minuscule number compared to the real number, we don’t know about many of them.
“I have to somehow build my life. I’m not in Belarus yet”
– Can you tell us how you live now?
– Now there is no hope for the release of Ales and his colleagues from Vesna. Wives, myself included, need to somehow improve their lives. We’ve lived with Ales for 35 years, it’s hard not having him around. I’m not in Belarus yet, for how long it’s hard to say. For now, this is the situation.
– What helps to cope?
– When Ales was arrested for the first time, I made new friends, although, unfortunately, their children and husbands were in prison. We didn’t lose touch, and when it was time for the test again, we became even closer. This is the mother of Igor Olinevich, wife of Mikalai Statkevich… I am immensely grateful to them.
– You name names, and I understand that now they are all political prisoners again. In 2021, anarchist Igor Olinevich received 20 years in prison, politician Mikalai Statkevich – 14 years…
– Yes, the children and husbands are arrested again.
– How to build a life in this case? What to expect?
– Poor hope, we always strangle her. It’s hard if she doesn’t make excuses. We try to live one day, not think about the good, let it come by itself.
– Do you have information about your husband?
– There is correspondence, but not all his letters come to me, and mine – to him. Lawyers are silent because they could lose their license or go to jail. One of Ales’ lawyers has already received a long sentence, the other has been stripped of his license.
“The prize will await the release of Ales from prison”
– On behalf of your husband, you received a Nobel medal. Also part of the prize money, a third of 900 thousand euros. Where is the medal now and the money?
– Yes, I symbolically accepted a medal and a diploma, they are still kept by friends. As for the monetary part, it is not accepted. Only Ales can accept it when he gets out of prison. The award will be waiting for it to be released.
– Do you have contact with other laureates – the Russian “Memorial”, the Center for Civil Liberties of Ukraine?
– There is no direct contact, but the support of Ales is felt, especially from the Ukrainian side, I am very grateful to them. The fact that Belarus is considered a co-aggressor country worsens the position of Belarusians, although in this situation Belarusians as a people are to blame without guilt. Most often they support Ukrainians, this must be remembered. Belarusians are not Russians, they do not have imperial ambitions, they do not need a war. It is necessary to separate the position of the authorities and for whom the people are. On February 24, the Ukrainian flag was raised in Minsk. Under current laws, people risked their lives to show support for Ukraine.
“In fact, all of Belarus is in prison. People need support”
– In 2020-2021, a lot was said about Belarus, but against the background of the war in Ukraine, it faded into the background. Did you have that feeling?
– Yes, it was noticeable that Belarus went out of focus. I felt this oblivion. Before the Nobel Prize, the world’s attention was turned in a different direction… The Prize brought Belarus back into focus. It is important for the world to understand that Belarusians are ready to fight for their views, but now all of Belarus, in fact, is in prison.
– What would you expect now from the international community, from European politicians?
– Express solidarity in concrete actions. Prisoners are a blow to their families, they need help to support their relatives in prisons and themselves. Many are forced to emigrate, they need help at least until they find a job.
“Purges” are taking place in Belarus, everyone who is considered disloyal to the authorities is expelled from work. It’s almost impossible to get someone else. I see this as an opportunity for the EU to support the people, to give them a chance to survive.
– What about political prisoners? Previously, people were released in exchange for, for example, easing sanctions. Now some relatives and the political prisoners themselves are in favor, others are against.
– I think it is not always possible to give voice to those steps that could facilitate the release of political prisoners. Sometimes work is better done in silence… It is to be hoped that EU policymakers can find opportunities to take helpful action.
Source: DW
Anna White is a journalist at 247 News Reel, where she writes on world news and current events. She is known for her insightful analysis and compelling storytelling. Anna’s articles have been widely read and shared, earning her a reputation as a talented and respected journalist. She delivers in-depth and accurate understanding of the world’s most pressing issues.