24 Feb 2011: AAAS Science and Human Rights Program publishes Action Alert based on information from Scholars at Risk

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The AAAS Science and Human Rights Program received the following information from Scholars at Risk (SAR) and has published the case through the AAAS Action Alert system.  The Alert has been posted on the AAAS  Science and Human Rights Program wesbite and sent out via our listserv, and will be included in the next Science and Human Rights Program newsletter.

Information from SAR  follows:

Scholars  at Risk calls for letters on behalf of Alyaksandr Fyaduta, Belarusian philology  professor and journalist

February  24, 2011

Scholars  at Risk (SAR) is concerned over reports that Dr. Alyaksandr Fyaduta, a philology  professor, journalist and lecturer at the European  Humanities  University,  is being held in prison. SAR asks for letters, faxes and emails urging the  appropriate authorities to intervene to ensure his well-being pending his  earliest release, including ensuring immediate and regular access to family, to  legal counsel of his choosing and to medical treatment.

Background

Scholars  at Risk has learned that Dr. Fyaduta was arrested at his home on  December  20, 2010.  Dr. Fyaduta has reportedly been charged with Article 293, mass riot, an  accusation which stems from Dr. Fyaduta’s alleged involvement in a protest that  took place in Minsk,  Belarus  in the aftermath of the most recent presidential election. Scholars at Risk  understands that, since his arrest, he has been held in custody without access  to legal counsel or to medical care. This suggests apparent disregard of  international standards of due process, fair trial and detention as guaranteed  in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on  Civil and Political Rights, to which Belarus is a signatory. Most alarmingly,  Scholars at Risk is concerned about the treatment of the injuries Dr. Fyaduta  reportedly sustained during the protest and his severe diabetic condition which  requires daily medical care. In light of this, his detention without access to  counsel or adequate medical support would appear to constitute a reckless  disregard of his health and well-being.

Scholars  at Risk therefore joins with many national and international academic  associations, human rights organizations and individual scholars in respectfully  urging authorities to ensure that Belarus’s obligations under international law  are upheld with regard to Dr. Fyaduta. SAR respectfully urges authorities to  ensure his well-being, including access to family, legal representation of his  choosing, and medical treatment.

Scholars  at Risk invites letters, emails and faxes be sent:

-respectfully  urging authorities to ensure that Belarus’s  obligations under international law are upheld with regard to Dr. Fyaduta;  and

-respectfully  urging authorities to ensure Dr. Fyaduta’s well-being pending his earliest  release, including ensuring regular access to his family, legal counsel of his  choosing and to medical treatment.

PLEASE  WRITE TO:

President  Alyaksandr Lukashenka

Administratsia  Prezidenta Respubliki Belarus

ul.Karla  Marksa, 38

220016  Minsk

BELARUS

Fax:  +375 17 226 06 10 and

+375  17 222 38 72

Email:  contact@president.gov.by

COPIES  TO:

The  Honorable _________

Ambassador  of Belarus  to [YOUR COUNTRY]

[POSTAL  ADDRESS]

[FAX]

[EMAIL]

(See  http://www.mfa.gov.by/en/about/foreign_missions/ for contact information of embassies worldwide.)

The  Honorable _________

Ambassador  of [YOUR COUNTRY] to Belarus

[POSTAL  ADDRESS]

[FAX]

[EMAIL]

To  view a copy of SAR’s letter of appeal, please visit their website: www.scholarsatrisk.org.    

This  Action Alert was posted by the AAAS Science and Human Rights Program on behalf  of the Scholars at Risk Network. SHRP has not independently verified its  contents.