The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

02.07.2013 Observers continue monitoring administrative trials

A group of human rights defenders monitored yesterday ten administrative trials as part of a campaign of judicial observation launched last month.

02.07.2013 Natalia Radina: The health and lives of political prisoners are in serious danger

It has been said quite a lot today about the necessity to release political prisoners in Belarus, but public opinion almost never talks about the conditions in which prisoners of conscience are forced to live in. Editor-in-chief of Charter-97 website, Natalia Radina, spent many months in the KGB detention center. Charter-97 often informs about cases of torture of political prisoners. Natalia Radina told Palitviazni.info more about the issue.

02.07.2013 PACE calls for release of political prisoners

A resolution on Belarus has been adopted at a session of the OSCE’s Parliamentary Assembly in Istanbul.

02.07.2013 Court Finds Violation in Judge’s Work, but Denies Disciplinary Action

Hrodna regional court admitted that the judge in Belarus Press Photo case made a violation when denied BAJ and BHC the right to take part in the court hearing as public representatives.

01.07.2013 Belarusian Popular Front sounds alarm over dismissals of opposition activists

Dismissals of members of opposition parties became more frequent this past June, Ihar Lyalkow, deputy chairman of the Belarusian Popular Front (BPF), says in a statement issued on Monday.

01.07.2013 Statement by the Human Rights Center "Viasna" and the Belarusian Helsinki Committee on sentencing of Andrei Haidukou

On July 1, 2013, Andrei Haidukou was convicted under paragraph 1, Article 14 and Article 356-1 of the Criminal Code (attempt to establish cooperation with the special service, security or intelligence services of a foreign state) and sentenced to 1.5 years in prison.

01.07.2013 Andrei Haidukou sentenced to 1.5 years in prison in espionage trial

Judge Halina Urbanovich of Vitsebsk Regional Court sentenced today Andrei Haidukou, leader of an unregistered NGO “Union of Young Intellectuals”, to 18 months in a general security penal colony, after he was found guilty of an “attempted crime” under Art. 356.1 of the Criminal Code (“establishment of cooperation with the security services of a foreign state”).

01.07.2013 Third criminal case started against Vasil Parfiankou

Prison threatens to the former political prisoner again.

28.06.2013 Mother of political prisoner Ihar Alinevich loses job

Mrs. Valiantsina Alinevich, the mother of political prisoner Ihar Alinevich, has worked at the Belarusian State Economic University for over 30 years. The administration said that she was a high-level expert, but security forces insisted that her employment contract should be terminated.

28.06.2013 Prosecutor wants 2 years in prison for Andrei Haidukou

At yesterday’s court session, the State Prosecutor requested that Andrei Haidukou, defendant in the spy trial, be jailed for two years, as reported by Prosecutor General of Belarus Aliaksandr Kaniuk.

28.06.2013 South American activists campaign against death penalty in Belarus

An office of the human rights organization Amnesty International in Paraguay launched a regional campaign against the secrecy that accompanies the death penalty in Belarus, while calling on the Belarusian President Lukashenka to amend Article 175 of the Criminal Executive Code.

28.06.2013 Jacek Protasiewicz: The European Union hopes for the release of political prisoners

Vice-President of the European Parliament, Jacek Protasiewicz expressed confidence that now it is a time for the Belarusian officials to take steps necessary for the improvement of relations between the EU and Minsk. Above all, Belarusian authorities should free political prisoners. Minsk does not have time to spare to do that. The politician told to Palitviazni.info about the EU expectations.

28.06.2013 Ales Bialiatski nominated for Václav Havel Human Rights Prize

Over 30 non-governmental organizations in Poland nominated Ales Bialiatski for the Václav Havel Human Rights Prize. The initiative was launched by the Polish Stefan Batory Foundation.

28.06.2013 Political prisoner Alinevich tears letters that offer to ask for pardon

Ihar Alinevich's parents had a long-term meeting with their son in the Navapolatsk penal colony No.10.

28.06.2013 Small business activist Shumchanka jailed

Small business activist Anatol Shumchanka was sentenced to five days in jail on Thursday, the day when market vendors across Belarus staged a walkout in protest against the Customs Union's new certification rules for clothing and footwear.