Belarusian champion of democracy is among us

“The hallmark of free government,” wrote British thinker Bernard Crick, “is whether public criticism is allowed in a manner conceivably effective, …whether opposition is tolerated.” It is generally understood that there is not much politics without an effective opposition. And this is true everywhere, whether in Alberta or in Belarus.

While Albertans sometimes complain that there has not been much in the way of effective opposition in provincial politics for decades, Alberta and Belarus are not really comparable. In this country, we do not round up political opponents in the middle of the night, government does not imprison opposition candidates without any cause, nor does it subject them to torture while in custody and then threaten them with more of the same upon liberating them.

Roughly, this is what happened in Belarus recently to a man named Ales Michalevic, who is passing through Calgary today.  Michalevic is this year’s recipient of Canada’s most prominent award for defenders and…