The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

03.12.2015 Police apologize for illegal detention of activist in Mahilioŭ

Mikita Fartukh, an activist of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada) in Mahilioŭ, has received apologies from a police officer who illegally detained him on November 15. It happened after the activist complained to the Prosecutor's Office.

03.12.2015 Preparation of Zero report on realization of the Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities begins in Belarus

On the International day of people with disability, December 3, the Office for the rights of persons with disabilities announces about the intention of a number of NGOs to declare a Memorandum on cooperation in order to prepare alternative Zero report on conditions with rights of persons with disabilities in the Republic of Belarus.

03.12.2015 Observatory condemns charges against human rights defenders in Belarus

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the FIDH (International Federation for Human Rights) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Belarus.

02.12.2015 Human Rights Situation in Belarus: November 2015

During November, there were no systemic changes indicating the willingness of the authorities to drastically improve the human rights situation in the country.

02.12.2015 Human rights activist Sudalenka faces charges of tax evasion

Maryna Baryskina, deputy head of the Homieĺ district tax inspection, has sent human rights activist Leanid Sudalenka summons to appear on December 7 in order to stand an administrative trial. He is accused of concealing 500 rubles received for working with the trade union and 387,024 rubles of dividends received on the shares (about 20 Euros).

02.12.2015 EU and Belarus: three months to convince

(Brussels, Minsk, Paris) EU must obtain human rights commitments from Belarus before the February 2016 decision on sanctions, say FIDH and its member organisation in Belarus Human Rights Center "Viasna" in a joint open letter.

01.12.2015 List of political prisoners

The Human Rights Center “Viasna” considers the following people as political prisoners in Belarus and demands their immediate release.

01.12.2015 Minsk authorities refuse to register New Alternative NGO

The Department of Justice of the Minsk city executive committee has refused to register a public association entitled “New Alternative”, previously known as “Alternative”.

01.12.2015 Department of Corrections should not forget about country’s international obligations

The Department of Corrections has responded to a petition of the Human Rights Center “Viasna”, which requested information about the conditions of detention of Andrei Bandarenka, former head of the Platform Innovation human rights NGO. However, the request was left without consideration on the merits in the interests of Bandarenka.

30.11.2015 Join Cities for Life campaign (video)

The campaign “Human Rights Defenders Against the Death Penalty in Belarus” calls on everyone to join the action “Cities for Life – Cities against the Death Penalty”, which takes place on November 30 to celebrate the first abolition of the death penalty by a European state, decreed by Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor of Habsburg-Lorraine in 1786 for his Grand Duchy of Tuscany.

30.11.2015 Human rights defenders and their rights: National legislation and international instruments

Article 6 of the UN Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, which was adopted by the General Assembly’s Resolution 53/144 of 9 December 1998, defines the rights of human rights defenders in the field of searching and disseminating information on human rights and fundamental freedoms.

30.11.2015 Issue of death penalty in Belarus still a priority for EU countries

The resumption of a dialogue between the EU and Belarus will become a platform for further discussion of the issue of the death penalty, said David Spiers, Deputy Chief of the UK Mission to Belarus, in an interview to the Human Rights Center “Viasna”.

28.11.2015 Police See No Offense In Homel Customs Officer Using Foul Language

A Homel freelance journalist Kanstantsin Zhukouski received a response from the Department of Internal Affairs of the Homel regional executive committee to his complaint on the fact, that a customs officer on duty was using foul language.

27.11.2015 PACE: Belarus needs to increase citizens’ trust in elections

Head of the PACE election observation mission Reha Denemeç has published a report about the presidential election held in Belarus on October 11, 2015.

27.11.2015 Lawtrend writes to UN Special Rapporteurs about pressure on journalists and human rights defenders

At least 12 people were charged with illegal demonstrating as a result of a protest held on November 24 in central Minsk. The Legal Transformation Center Lawtrend has prepared a communication, which was joined by the Human Rights Center "Viasna" and the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, to complain about the incident.