News for December 2020

Tsikhanouskaya and Coordination Council members facing new charges of creating an extremist group

22.12.2020 Tsikhanouskaya and Coordination Council members facing new charges of creating an extremist group

The Prosecutor General’s Office has opened a criminal case targeting former presidential candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and members of the opposition Coordination Council over their alleged involvement in the creation of an extremist group (Article 361-1 of the Criminal Code), according to the authority’s website.

German MPs take over godparenthood for Eduard Palchys, Dzmitry Kubarau and Maksim Babich

19.12.2020 German MPs take over godparenthood for Eduard Palchys, Dzmitry Kubarau and Maksim Babich

As part of the solidarity campaign #WeStandBYyou of Libereco, Nils Schmid (SPD), Carl-Julius Cronenberg (FDP) and Lukas Köhler (FDP) have taken over a godparenthood for political prisoners in Belarus.

Artsiom Sarokin is new political prisoner

19.12.2020 Artsiom Sarokin is new political prisoner

Joint statement by Belarusian human rights organizations

Members of the Swiss National Council take over godparenthood for professor Volha Filatchankava and student Uladzislau Martsinovich

17.12.2020 Members of the Swiss National Council take over godparenthood for professor Volha Filatchankava and student Uladzislau Martsinovich

As part of the solidarity campaign #WeStandBYyou of Libereco, Céline Widmer (SP) and Jon Pult (SP) have taken over a godparenthood for political prisoners in Belarus.

Immediately release political prisoners Tsikhan Kliukach and Safiya Malashevich

17.12.2020 Immediately release political prisoners Tsikhan Kliukach and Safiya Malashevich

Statement by the human rights organizations of Belarus

100 godparents for political prisoners in Belarus

17.12.2020 100 godparents for political prisoners in Belarus

Cem Özdemir, Member of the Bundestag and former long-time leader of Alliance 90/The Greens, is the 100th MP who takes over a godparenthood for political prisoners in Belarus, symbolically adopting journalist Katsiaryna Barysevich.

Amnesty International: Witness in police killing of protester faces life sentence

17.12.2020 Amnesty International: Witness in police killing of protester faces life sentence

Belarusian authorities are attempting to cover up the killing of a peaceful protester by police by bringing serious criminal charges against a key witness, Amnesty International said.

One more defamation sentence: Man with cancer gets one year in prison for “insulting” Lukashenka

16.12.2020 One more defamation sentence: Man with cancer gets one year in prison for “insulting” Lukashenka

The Chojniki District Court sentenced today a disabled resident of Homieĺ to 12 months in a penal colony for “publicly insulting the president” at an election rally on July 28.

"They broke my nose and car because I had a white ribbon." Survivor stories

16.12.2020 "They broke my nose and car because I had a white ribbon." Survivor stories

On the night of August 11-12, 31-year-old Minsk resident Mikalai Bondar was literally dragged from his car by law enforcement officers for a white ribbon on his arm. The traffic and riot policemen smashed his car, beat him, broke his nose, and took him to the detention center.

Two more persons convicted for "insulting" police officers

15.12.2020 Two more persons convicted for "insulting" police officers

Yury Karnilovich, a 31-year-old welder at the MAZ automotive manufacturer, was sentenced today to three years in an open-type penal colony (so called “khimiya”) for allegedly insulting former Interior Minister Yury Karayeu in a comment on YouTube. The sentence is the heaviest possible penalty provided by the charge.

Political prisoner Ihar Losik goes on hunger strike to protest new charges

15.12.2020 Political prisoner Ihar Losik goes on hunger strike to protest new charges

Political prisoner Ihar Losik has declared an indefinite hunger strike after he faced today new charges of “plotting riots” (Art 13, Part 2 of Art. 293 of the Criminal Code) in addition to an earlier charge of “breaching public order” (Part 1 of Art. 342).

Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections issue final report on August 9 presidential election

15.12.2020 Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections issue final report on August 9 presidential election

The non-partisan observation initiative "Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections" has published the final analytical report on the results of observation of the 2020 presidential elections in the Republic of Belarus.

Amnesty International: Tortured detainee denied medical care

15.12.2020 Amnesty International: Tortured detainee denied medical care

Viachaslau Rahashchuk is a taxi driver from the Belarusian city of Pinsk who was arbitrarily detained in 10 August and remains behind bars. He is in need of urgent medical treatment due to injuries he sustained from being tortured while in detention.

Violent protest dispersion resulted in a broken arm and a night at the detention center. Survivor stories

14.12.2020 Violent protest dispersion resulted in a broken arm and a night at the detention center. Survivor stories

My knee was seriously injured, and in general the right side of my body was just smashed. There was a real psychopath among the riot policemen. When he detained me, he was on my right side, and the other riot policeman was on my left. While my left side was injured, but not critically, my right side was just smashed.

More German MPs are godparents for Belarusian political prisoners

14.12.2020 More German MPs are godparents for Belarusian political prisoners

As part of the solidarity campaign #WeStandBYyou of Libereco, Sandra Bubendorfer-Licht (FDP), Oliver Luksic (FDP) and Marja-Liisa Völlers (SPD) have taken over a godparenthood for political prisoners Mikhail Kalishuk, Yahor Kanetski and Andrei Papou.

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