Anatoly Lebedko, one of the most prominent pro-democracy leaders in Belarus, is now being held in the detention center of the Committee for State Security, facing up to 15 years in jail because of his peaceful protest against the dictatorial regime of Alexander Lukashenko on December 19, 2010.  

Lebedko is one of hundreds of opposition activists arrested during Lukashenko’s brutal and bloody crackdown following the December 19 protests.  Many activists have been freed, some put under house arrest, and others have been released only after agreeing to not leave the country and to not disclose details about how “justice is made” in Belarus.  Lebedko, IRI’s good friend and partner, remains imprisoned and has been denied access to his lawyer since December 26, 2010.  It is unclear when, if ever, he will be allowed legal representation, since the Belarus government threatens those representing the defendants − four lawyers have already been disbarred by the Belarus Ministry of Justice. 

Lebedko joined the opposition in 1996 and now serves as chairman of a pro-democratic opposition party, United Civic Party, and co-chair of the United Democratic Forces of Belarus.  He worked tirelessly to help nominate and elect an opposition candidate during the 2006 presidential election and also served on the opposition’s anti-crisis platform.  Lebedko is a past president of Belarusian Association of Young Politicians.  In the 12th Supreme Council of the Republic of Belarus, he served as a deputy chairman of the Commission for Youth Affairs, Family and Women.  In the 13th Supreme Council, he served as a deputy chairman of the Commission for Foreign Affairs and later as chairman of the commission. 

Since 1995, Lebedko has been a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and has participated in many international conferences including the OSCE, Council of Europe and a number of Euro-Atlantic organizations.

The situation in Belarus is deteriorating and the conditions of political prisoners are cruel and inhumane.  Even so, Lebedko is not giving up his fight for a free and democratic Belarus.  Over the years he has been fined numerous times and has served short-terms in prison for his political activities.  Despite this, he is an outspoken defender of human and political rights in Belarus, and has proven he is willing to stand-up to Lukashenko’s repressive regime.

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