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Freed Belarusian Rights Defender Details Parole Conditions


Ales Byalyatski is welcomed at Minsk's railway station by his family on June 21.
Ales Byalyatski is welcomed at Minsk's railway station by his family on June 21.

Outspoken Belarusian rights activist Ales Byalyatski, who was unexpectedly released from prison on June 21, has detailed the conditions of his parole.

Byalyatski told RFE/RL on June 24 that he must appear at a police station in Minsk once a month but that he is allowed to travel around Belarus and even leave the country.

Byalyatski told journalists in Minsk on June 23 that he did not plan to leave Belarus but said the country remained "unfree."

Byalyatski said his parole could be tightened if he violates its conditions more than three times in one year.

He said he has not been told how long his parole period will last.

Byalyatski, the head of the Belarusian human rights center Vyasna, was sentenced to 4 1/2 years in prison in November 2011 for alleged tax evasion.

Byalyatski pleaded not guilty, saying the case against him was politically motivated.

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