Jailed Nobel laureate Bialiatski barred from sending speech

By YURAS KARMANAU
Associated Press

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Imprisoned Belarusian human rights campaigner Ales Bialiatski, who shared the Nobel Peace Prize with rights groups in Russia and Ukraine, hasn’t been allowed by Belarus authorities to hand over his speech for the award ceremony. His wife Natalia Pinchuk, who will deliver a speech on Bialiatski’s behalf during Saturday’s award ceremony in Oslo, said it will convey her husband’s thoughts and statements. Bialiatski, 60, who founded the non-governmental organization Human Rights Center Viasna, was detained following protests in 2020 against the re-election of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. He has remained in jail pending trial and faces up to 12 years in prison if convicted.