The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

12.01.2016 BAJ Appeals to President's Administration Regarding Persecution of Freelancers

The Belarusian Association of Journalists sent a request to the President’s Administration with the view to clarifying the reasons for the renewed persecution against some journalists under article 22.9.

12.01.2016 Exiled human rights defender Alena Tankachova asks to reduce period of expulsion

Human rights defender Alena Tankachova, who was deported from Belarus in February 2015, has written to the Minsk city police department asking to reduce the period of entry ban and remove her from the blacklist.

12.01.2016 Prisoner attempts to kill self to protest torture

Yahor Pratasenia, 20, has committed a suicide attempt in the Žodzina jail to protest torture and abuse during the investigation and detention, according to Larysa Zhyhar, representative of the public initiative “Mothers’ Movement 328”.

12.01.2016 Another man sentenced to death in Belarus

On January 5, the Minsk Regional Court pronounced this year’s first death sentence in the case of Henadz Yakavitski, a resident of the town of Vilejka, who was charged with “murder committed with extreme cruelty” (Article 139 of the Criminal Code).

11.01.2016 Ongoing harassment of freelance journalists in Homieĺ

Kanstantsin Zhukouski, a freelance reporter working for the Belsat TV channel is facing administrative charges (in two separate episodes in Karma and Kalinkavičy) for alleged violation of Art. 22.9 of the Administrative Code (illegal production and distribution of media products). The journalist is expected to face another charge coming from the Vietka district police department.

06.01.2016 Maxim Viniarski Fined $800 For Students’ March And “Contempt Of Court”

The court fined the activist of European Belarus 50 basic units for participation in the Students’ March, and 20 basic units for a refusal to rise for the judge.

06.01.2016 Opposition activist fined over Human Rights Day picket

Leanid Kulakou, activist of the European Belarus opposition movement, has been fined 6.3 mln rubles on charges of staging an illegal picket on December 10, International Human Rights Day.

05.01.2016 Freelance journalist in Homieĺ faces fresh charges for working without accreditation

On December 24, journalist Larysa Shchyrakova was charged with illegal manufacture of media products (Article 22.9 of the Administrative Code) for the TV channel “Belsat”.

04.01.2016 Human Rights Situation in Belarus: December 2015

Representatives of the country’s human rights organizations still call on the authorities to take a number of restorative measures aimed at improving the human rights situation in the country and demonstrate their interest in further development of the Belarus-EU relations.

04.01.2016 Belarus six times violated rights of human rights defender Leanid Sudalenka, says UN Human Rights Committee

Human rights activist Leanid Sudalenka has received a decision adopted at the autumn session of the UN Human Rights Committee in case No. 2016/2010 “Leanid Sudalenka vs. Belarus.” The experts found that the Belarusian authorities for the sixth time violated his civil and political rights, this time – the right to peaceful assembly and expression, as enshrined in Articles 19 and 21 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

04.01.2016 FIDH urges Belarus’ MFA to implement UN HRC decision in Ales Bialiatski case

The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) has written to the Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Uladzimir Makei urging the government to respect the country’s international obligations within the framework of the United Nations and to take steps to implement key requirements of the Human Rights Committee in the case of Ales Bialiatski, including the registration of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" and cancellation of his criminal record.

30.12.2015 Student fined over ‘self-immolation’ performance

The Court of Minsk’s Centraĺny district has fined Mikhail Kauko 3.6 mln rubles for setting his arms on fire during a performance staged outside the City Hall on December 25. He was found guilty of illegal demonstrating.

24.12.2015 Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Dear friends, colleagues and associates, May the year of 2016 bring many pleasant moments and joyous events. We wish you all good health and well-being, life-affirming energy and inspiration, as well as success in everything you do! May your dreams come true! Let us be optimistic and united!

23.12.2015 Freelance journalist detained in Karma

Freelance journalist Kanstantsin Zhukouski has been briefly detained by police officers in the town of Karma, Homieĺ region, after a report from a local official at the executive committee’s ideology department. As a result, the journalist spent three o'clock in the police station.

23.12.2015 Minsk court fines student over protest

Pavel Siarhei, an activist who was involved in a protest staged by the students of the Belarusian State University on December 2, has been fined 4.5 mln on charges of illegal demonstrating (Part 1, Art. 23.34 of the Administrative Code).