{"id":203339,"date":"2026-09-11T17:22:06","date_gmt":"2026-09-11T14:22:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/203339\/"},"modified":"2026-09-11T17:22:09","modified_gmt":"2026-09-11T14:22:09","slug":"ned-presents-democracy-service-medal-to-rights-defender-bialacki","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/203339\/","title":{"rendered":"NED presents Democracy Service Medal to rights defender Bialacki"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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September 11, Pozirk.<\/em> <\/strong>The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) has presented<\/a> the Democracy Service Medal to Belarusian human rights defender and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ale\u015b Bialacki, a former political prisoner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJust nine months ago I was held in prison under tough conditions and could not imagine that I would ever be free. Not a single minute upon my release I forget that more than 900 [political] prisoners still remain in \u0141uka\u0161enka prisons,\u201d the Viasna Human Rights Center quoted him as saying at the ceremony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs America marks its 250th anniversary, NED\u2019s Democracy Awards honored people carrying forward the promise of 1776\u2014and defending the fundamental freedoms at the heart of democratic life,\u201d said NED\u2019s announcement of the award presentation ceremony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Established in 1999, the Democracy Service Medal is awarded to honor individuals who show personal commitment and courage in advancing human rights, freedom and democratic institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its recipients include \u015aviat\u0142ana Cichano\u016dskaja, Lech Wa\u0142\u0119sa, Vaclav Havel and Dalai Lama.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NED is a US government agency established in 1983. It is financed by the Congress with grants distributed by the US Information Agency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Belarusian Nobel Prize winner Bialacki meets with US\u00a0special envoy\u00a0<\/h3>\n
September 9, Pozirk. Belarusian Nobel Prize winner Ale\u015b Bialacki (Ales Bialiatski), who was released from a Belarusian prison last December, met with US Special Envoy for Belarus John Coale in Washington on September 8.  According to Bialacki, the meeting \u201ctook place in a warm atmosphere,\u201d the …<\/div>\n \n