Ales Mikhalevich detained in Poland at request of Belarusian authorities. Release promised

Ales Mikhalevich, presidential candidate against Lukashenko in the 2010 elections and Belarusian activist was detained on Monday at Okęcie Airport in Warsaw. He was informed that the Polish Prosecutor had, at the request of the Belarusian Prosecutor, instructed the police to arrest him.

Mr Michalevich was supposed to be flying to London for a meeting with the UK Foreign Ministry and with a firm which is gathering testimony regarding torture and disappearances in Belarus in order to begin proceedings against Lukashenko.

According to Radio RMF FM, the District Prosecutor in Warsaw took the decision in the evening to release Mr Mikhalevich immediately.

The agreement signed between Poland and Belarus in 1994 regarding legal assistance has already contributed to one travesty of justice.  The Polish (and Lithuanian) Prosecutor provided the Belarusian Authorities with information about bank accounts which the Head of the Viasna Human Rights Centre, Ales Bialiatski had opened in order on Viasna’s behalf (the latter having been officially dissolved by Lukashenko’s regime).  Ales Bialiatski was recently sentenced to 4 years imprisonment, a sentence which has been condemned throughout the democratic world.

Ales Mikhalevich was arrested after the widespread protests over election fraud. He was held in a KGB prison for three months. He was released only after writing a statement of loyalty. After leaving prison he called a press conference where he spoke in detail about the torture used against political prisoners in Belarus.  He has been granted political asylum in the Czech Republic.