Ales Bialiatski

Ales Bialiatski is a Belarusian human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. He is the founder of the Viasna Human Rights Centre, which provides legal and financial assistance to political prisoners and their families in Belarus. Bialiatski's activism has made him a target of the Belarusian government, and he has been imprisoned multiple times. He was most recently imprisoned on charges widely considered politically motivated. Bialiatski is newsworthy because he was among 123 political prisoners recently released by Belarus after the United States agreed to lift sanctions on Belarusian potash, a key export. The release followed talks between Belarusian officials and a special envoy of the U.S. President. Bialiatski's release is significant as it represents a potential, albeit fragile, shift in Belarus's political landscape and a possible improvement in relations between Belarus and the West. His freedom is also a victory for human rights advocates worldwide.