World Movement participating organization, Civil Rights Defenders, named human rights and democracy activist, Ales Bialiatski, its Civil Rights Defender of the Year. Mr. Bialiatski was arrested on August 4, 2011 for tax evasion, and was sentenced to prison after a trial that is widely believed to be politically motivated. He is the founder and leader of Viasna, Belarus’ leading human rights organization. He remains in prison to this day and is not allowed to communicate freely with the outside world. 

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