Irish Human right defenders: The tragic death of Yana Paliakova is a grievous blow for all those working for human rights

Irish human right organization Front Line made a statement concerning death of Belarusian human right defender Yana Paliiakova who had been led to suicide by Belarusian authorities.

Belarus: Tragic death of human rights defender Yana Paliakova following campaign of intensive harassment and intimidation*

Front Line has received with great sadness news of the death of human rights defender Yana Paliakova in Belarus on 7 March 2009. Yana Paliakova was sentenced to two and a half years of “restraint of liberty” on 3rd of March after a Salihorsk District Court found her guilty of violating article 400, part 2 of Criminal Code — “deliberate false accusation.”

“The tragic death of Yana Paliakova is a grievous blow for all those working for human rights, ” said Front Line Director, Mary Lawlor, “sadly it is so often those like Yana who courageously work to defend the rights of others who suffer the most. Our thoughts are with her family.”

Yana Paliakova had been the subject of ongoing harassment from the authorities including defamation and assaults by the police. According to human rights defenders in Belarus, Yana Paliakova was particularly targeted by local police due to her courageous defence of victims of police brutality. Reports indicate that Yana Paliakova committed suicide.

Human right defender Valery Shchukin who had observed her trial commented, “I spent a day with her after the trial, and she was saying one thing: “I am not going to be a prisoner”.

The day before her death, on 6 March 2009, a defamation article about Yana Paliakova was published in the most important state-owned newspaper Sovetskaya Belorussia.

Yana Paliakova had previously been the target of a vicious campaign of harassment and intimidation

On 9 October 2008, Yana Paliakova was attacked as she entered her home in Salihorsk*. An unidentified man approached her, hit her on the back of the head and threatened her, saying, “if you won’t shut up, this will be your last warning”.* She called an ambulance and was brought to hospital where she was diagnosed with a concussion. Members of staff at the hospital then contacted the police who subsequently took her to the police station to lodge a complaint. At the police station Yana Paliakova felt ill but when she tried to go outside the policeman seized her by her sweater and pushed onto the floor causing a bruise on her hip.

Yana Paliakova was particularly targeted by local police due to her defence of victims of police brutality.

Despite Yana Paliakova´s lodging a complaint at the Public Prosecutor´s office concerning the police attack on 1 September 2008, no inquiry into this attack has ever been carried out. Ends.

*For further Information please contact:*

*Dublin; Jim Loughran, Head of Communications, Front Line *