The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

08.04.2014 Another death sentence issued in Belarus

26-year-old Homel resident Aliaksandr Hrunou has been repeatedly sentenced to death. According to the lawyer, the young man does not believe that he can be pardoned by the President, and therefore he is not sure whether he will apply for clemency.

08.04.2014 Political prisoner Mikalai Autukhovich released from jail

In prison, he was twice offered to write a petition for clemency to Lukashenka. The political prisoner refused to do it, not to be mocked for his “weakness” afterwards.

08.04.2014 Belarus: Confirmation in appeal of the ban of a book written by Mr. Ales Bialiatski

Statement of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders concerning the confirmation of the ban of "Enlightened by Belarusianness", authored by the imprisoned head of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" Ales Bialiatski.

08.04.2014 Political prisoner Eduard Lobau has problems with mail correspondence

Not all the letters come through from Eduard Lobau, who is serving imprisonment term in the penal colony number 22 in Ivatsevichy.

08.04.2014 Khotsimsk: civil society activist asks police to find slanderers

April 7, Valery Karankevich, a civil society activist from the urban settlement of Khotsimsk, applied to the Khotsimsk District Police Department.

07.04.2014 Hary Pahaniaila: It's time to review the law on death penalty

Human rights activist Hary Pahaniaila tells why the death penalty is torture for relatives of the executed, about the "right to kill" and the subjectivity of judges.

07.04.2014 Justice Ministry Issues Warning to United Civil Party

The Ministry of Justice of Belarus has issued an official warning to the United Civil Party.

07.04.2014 Brest: pressurization of the UCP candidates at the local elections continues

Iryna Siniapkina, who was nominated as a candidate of the United Civil Party, can be punished for an electoral picket held on February 24 in Brest.

07.04.2014 Mahiliou police drop administrative case concerning the beating of a candidate for deputy

The case was dismissed due to the absence of administrative offense. Such a response was received from the police by a former candidate for Mahiliou city and regional councils Aliaksei Paulouski.

07.04.2014 Police terrorize independent journalists

Maksim Khliabets, a journalist, was interrogated by police on Friday as a witness in an administrative case.

04.04.2014 Husband of critical campaigner repeatedly sentenced to three years in prison

On April 4, the Court of Mahiliou’s Kastrychnitski district, according to the decision of the Mahiliou Regional Court, confirmed the sentencing of Piotr Kuchura, whose wife Liudmila Kuchura is famous for her involvement in a campaign against lawlessness of law enforcement officials, to a three-year prison term. The verdict was announced despite the fact that the Regional Court found significant violations of the criminal procedural law during the first trial.

04.04.2014 Minsk City Court turns down appeal by UCP activist

Mikhail Babila, an activist of the United Civil Party, was detained on March 16 near Minsk’s Kamarouski market together with other UCP picketers. They were charged with violation of Art. 23.34 of the Administrative Code (participation in an unauthorized mass event).

04.04.2014 Slavamir Adamovich detained for Ukrainian state symbols again

The poet was detained for a yellow-blue ribbon in central Minsk.

04.04.2014 White-red-white flags banned at KHL games in Prague

Belarusian fans are not allowed to use national flags during the games of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) in Prague.

04.04.2014 Former candidate complains to CEC over disregard of his complaints

Valery Karankevich, a former candidate for the Mahiliou Regional Council in Khotsimsk constituency No. 54 and a candidate for the Khotsimsk District Council in constituency No. 13, filed today a complaint to the Central Election Committee.