The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

06.10.2013 “The death penalty: a way to the past” (video)

The new video, dedicated to the topic of the death penalty in Belarus, was created as part of the campaign "Human Rights Defenders against the Death Penalty". Its presentation at youtube is dated to the World Day against the Death Penalty, which is celebrated on 10 October in most countries of the world.

06.10.2013 Belarusians express their opinions about the death penalty

Last week, a discussion was held in Minsk for the participants of the educational program “Pcholka” ("Bee") on the subject of the death penalty in Belarus. The event was attended by representatives of the campaign "Human Rights Defenders against the Death Penalty" – Andrei Paluda and Valiantsin Stefanovich.

06.10.2013 Alena Laptsionak: the death penalty is the murder on behalf of the state

Human rights activists announce a "Week against the death penalty". The culmination of the week will be 10 October, the World Day against the Death Penalty. On that day a press-conference with the relatives of death convicts, and some other events will take place. Belarus is the only country in Europe where the death penalty is still used. A member of the Human Rights Center “Viasn” Alena Laptsionak paid a visit to our studio.

05.10.2013 “Last Dawn” rock concert held in Bialystok

In the evening on 5 October Bialystok hosted a rock concert "Last Dawn" , an online broadcast joined by viewers from around the world . The participants of the musical project advocate discontinuing the practice of the death penalty in Belarus.

05.10.2013 “Viasna” presents a special web-page about the death penalty

At present the Human Rights Center "Viasna " offers its readers a separate web page with the latest news and archival information gathered as a part of the campaign "Human Rights Defenders against the death penalty in Belarus": dp.spring96.org.

05.10.2013 Hrodna human rights defenders continue struggling for their constitutional rights

Hrodna human rights defenders Uladzimir Khilmanovich, Raman Yurhel and Viktar Sazonau filed an appeal against a verdict of the Leninski District Court of Hrodna to the Hrodna Regional Court. On 23 September Judge of the Leninski District Court of Hrodna Zhana Krauchanka considered their appeal against the decision of the Hrodna City Executive Committee to prohibit the picket in support of the political prisoner Ales Bialiatski on 4 August and upheld the actions of the authorities.

05.10.2013 Court lifts preventive supervision from Uladzimir Yaromenak

On 1 October preventive supervision was lifted from a former political prisoner, participant of the post-election protests of 19 December 2010, “Young Front” activist Uladzimir Yaromenak. The activist was informed by it by the Pershamaiski District penitentiary inspection of Minsk.

05.10.2013 Baranavichy City Executive Committee bans a picket in honor of the International Day for Decent Work

Baranavichy CEC banned the picket for the International Day for Decent Work. This became known from a letter signed by the deputy head of the executive committee, Dz. Kastsiukevich, received by an activist of the Baranavichy city unit of the Trade Union of Radio Electronic Industry Ryhor Hryk.

04.10.2013 Viktar Ivashkevich died

The well-known political activist Viktar Ivashkevich was born on 21 September 1959 in Minsk.

04.10.2013 Letters stop coming from Mikalai Autukhovich

As said by several adherents of the party “Belarusian Christian Democracy” to its press-secretary, Dzianis Sadouski, they have ceased to receive letters from the political prisoner, noting the absence of letters from him and his failure to answer several letters, which has never happened before.

04.10.2013 Mahiliou police interfere with the distribution of the bulletin “Social-democrat”

On 4 October an activist of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada) Ales Serdziukou, who handed out the party bulletin, was forcibly led out of the market of car details located on the Homel highway.

04.10.2013 Pinsk Jewish society outraged at the acts of vandalism in the city

In the past few days in Pinsk a memorial sign in the place of a ghetto of the World War II, was desecrated, and a swastika was pained on the building of the Jewish educational center.

04.10.2013 Mahiliou activists of the Trade Union of Radio Electronic Industry are prohibited to hold their picket

The women wanted to protest against the actions of the lawyer Natallia Zakharchanka and the verdict of Judge of the Leninski District Court of Minsk Halina Tarasava about their eviction from the dormitory of "Building Trust No. 12" without providing alternative accommodation to stay.

04.10.2013 Invitation to the presentation of the sociological research “Crime and Punishment in the Eyes of the Society”

On the eve of the World day against Death Penalty at the initiative of the Moscow office of Penal Reform International (Penal Reform International) in Minsk a presentation of the survey “Crime and Punishment in the Eyes of the Society” was presented.

02.10.2013 Human rights defenders declare a week against the death penalty

From 5 to 10 October, the Human Rights Center "Viasna" will hold "A Week Against the Death Penalty" , full of events and information on the painful issues raised by human rights activists in the Belarusian society.