News for November 2020
30.11.2020 Siarhei Tsikhanouski faces new charge after 6 months in prison
Siarhei Tsikhanouski, a critical vlogger who was arrested in May shortly after announcing his presidential nomination, has faced a new charge, which his lawyer says is an illegal means to keep him in prison without trial for up to 18 months.
30.11.2020 German MPs take over godparenthood for Siarhei Bryl, Sviatlana Kupreyeva and Maryia Nestserava
As part of the solidarity campaign #WeStandBYyou of Libereco, Florian Hahn (CSU), Susanne Mittag (SPD) and Manuela Rottmann (Alliance90/The Greens) have taken over a godparenthood for political prisoners in Belarus.
30.11.2020 "A riot policeman sat on me in the police van and exclaimed: 'Look at my nice chair!'" Survivor stories
Andrei Viarshenia was brutally pulled out of his car by riot policemen on the night of August 11, when he was driving his friends home past the Riga shopping center. He was being beaten all the way to the detention center and after, until he lost consciousness. The man shared his detention story with "Viasna".
30.11.2020 Day 113 of protests: over 400 detained
At least 416 persons were detained yesterday as a result of several dozen simultaneous protests held in many localities across Belarus on the 16th consecutive Sunday since the rigged presidential election of August 9. Some 250 demonstrators were detained in Minsk, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
28.11.2020 Members of German Bundestag take over godparenthood for Dzianis Marusevich, Raman Kananovich and Dzmitry Dubkou
As part of the solidarity campaign #WeStandBYyou of Libereco, Roderich Kiesewetter (CDU), Jens Brandenburg (FDP) and Leni Breymaier (SPD) have taken over a godparenthood for political prisoners in Belarus.
28.11.2020 Release political prisoner Maksim Pauliushchyk!
Joint statement by Belarusian human rights organizations
27.11.2020 2 years in prison for removing state flag: New trend of repression in Belarus
On November 26, entrepreneur Heorhi Vasilenka was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment for replacing the official flag with a white-red-white one in Lenin Square in Homieĺ. The city’s Centraĺny District Court found him guilty under Part 2 of Article 339 of the Criminal Code (hooliganism).
27.11.2020 Repression against "Viasna" human rights defenders: Increase in persecution before and after election
In 2020, some 20 members and volunteers of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" were persecuted and repressed. Although they carry out entirely peaceful human rights activities, Viasna staff are persecuted by the state in various ways: arrests on flimsy pretexts, administrative and criminal persecution, searches, trials, and other forms of pressure.
26.11.2020 New godparents for Belarusian political prisoners
As part of the solidarity campaign #WeStandBYyou of Libereco, Karl Lamers (CDU), Matthias Bartke (SPD), Sandra Weeser (FDP), Mark Hauptmann (CDU), Detlef Müller (SPD) and Frank Müller-Rosentritt (FDP) have taken over a godparenthood for political prisoners in Belarus.
26.11.2020 Student sentenced to 18 months in prison for insulting OMON chief
The Frunzienski District Court of Minsk sentenced today Illia Tananka, a 19-year-old student at Minsk State Linguistic University, to 18 months of imprisonment for allegedly publicly insulting Dzmitry Balaba, commanding officer of OMON, a special police unit known for its involvement in acts of violence against peaceful protesters.
26.11.2020 Release political prisoner Ihar Samusenka!
Joint statement by Belarusian human rights organizations
25.11.2020 Amnesty International: Whistle-blower doctor and journalist who exposed disinformation are prisoners of conscience
The authorities in Belarus have arrested and opened criminal proceedings against medical doctor Artsyom Sarokin and journalist Katsyaryna Barysevich who published information about the recent death of a peaceful protester, and exposed what appears to be an official cover-up of his killing. They are both prisoners of conscience, detained solely for the exercise of their right to freedom of expression, and must be immediately and unconditionally released and the criminal proceedings against them ended.
25.11.2020 HRDs call to release journalists held on criminal charges
Joint statement by Belarusian human rights organizations on the criminal cases of journalists Katsiaryna Barysevich, Katsiaryna Andreyeva and Darya Chultsova
25.11.2020 "They threw my skateboard away and told me I feigned a broken arm." Survivor stories
Ivan told "Viasna" the details of what happened: during the detention, his arm was broken and no ambulance was called, even when he reported a heart condition. The doctor at Žodzina detention center said that his arm was fine because it had not swollen up. The guy received medical attendance only after the trial.
25.11.2020 Human rights coalition adds 8 new names to list of political prisoners
Joint statement by the human rights organizations of Belarus
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