As delivered by Acting Political Counselor Jennifer Bosworth
to the Permanent Council, Vienna
July 3, 2014
The United States welcomes the release of Ales Byalyatski as a positive development. Byalyatski received the State Department’s 2011 Human Rights Defenders Award for his work advocating for victims of political repression and their families in Belarus.
We reiterate our call for the Government of Belarus to release immediately and unconditionally all remaining political prisoners and to guarantee and ensure their full civil and political rights. These actions would pave the way for improved relations between the United States and Belarus. We stand with the people of Belarus and reaffirm our readiness to help them build a democratic, prosperous, and truly independent European state.
Thank you, Madam Chairperson.
