Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to all committee members for making room for this short meeting with Mr. Ales Michalevic, the 2011 John Humphrey Award winner.
The John Humphrey Award, created in 1992, is presented annually to an organization or an individual for their outstanding contribution to the promotion of human rights and democratic development.
A candidate in the 2010 Belarusian presidential election, Mr. Michalevic was arrested and wrongfully imprisoned by the government before the end of the election and before the end of his campaign. He was held, along with five other opposition candidates, for more than two months and subjected to torture for the duration. Since March 2011 he has been living in the Czech Republic, in Poland, after fleeing Belarus for fear of reprisal for his life.
In presenting the award to Mr. Michalevic, Rights & Democracy’s international jury highlights his courage, determination and perseverance, and also recognizes his ongoing efforts to make Belarus a free and open democracy.
Now I am going to give the floor to Mr. Michalevic, who will talk to us about the situation in Belarus in general.
Thank you.