The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

30.05.2013 House of Representatives approves bill on political parties and NGOs

Members of the House of Representatives have adopted amendments to the laws relating to activity of political parties and NGOs. Deputy Minister of Justice Hanna Badak introduced the draft law and said the amendments would simplify the process of opening political parties and NGOs and fill gaps in the legal regulation of their activity.

30.05.2013 Prosecutor’s Office warns Belsat journalist

Journalist Volha Chaichyts received a written warning from the Prosecutor’s Office of Smaliavichy district for her work with the Poland-based Belsat TV channel, press service of the Belarusian Association of Journalists reports.

30.05.2013 State Bodies Reply to BAJ They Can Do Nothing About Arrests of Journalists

The Belarusian Association of Journalists addressed to the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the General Prosecutor’s Office and the Investigative Committee, asking to take actions in the cases of the recent arrests of Dzmitry Halko and Aliaksandr Yarashevich.

30.05.2013 Andrei Haidukou’s mother: Trial should be open

Reports say that it is Vitsebsk Regional Court who is expected to hear the case of Andrei Haidukou, a 23-year-old employee of the Navapolatsk-based “Naftan” refinery, who is accused of “high treason”. Volha Haidukova, his mother, hopes that the trial will open for all to learn the details of the case. After all, the espionage charges brought against the Navapolatsk guy seem absurd to many.

30.05.2013 Joint statement of BHC and Viasna on Andrei Haidukou’s case

Human rights defenders call upon the authorities to provide for an open trial, during which all persons concerned could assess the validity of the charges and the legality of the prosecution and the trial.

30.05.2013 Free Trade Union of Metal Industry Workers demands to stop discrimination and harassment of its activists

The Free Trade Union of Metal Industry Workers released a statement urging the authorities to put an end to discriminating against employees on the grounds of trade union membership, to reestablish the constitutional right to freedom of association in trade unions and to provide administrative or criminal liability of employers and other authorities for discrimination against workers. The statement was adopted by the Trade Union’s Board on May 26.

29.05.2013 Mikalai Statkevich warns about new provocations

Prison authorities make new attempts to force a political prisoner to apply for a pardon. Charter97.org has learnt it from Statkevich's wife Maryna Adamovich.

29.05.2013 Independent journalists summoned to Prosecutor’s Office

Members of the NGO “Belarusian Association of Journalists”, Volha Chaychyts and Ales Silich, are required to appear in Smaliavichy district Prosecutor’s Office on Thursday, May 30, press service of the Belarusian Association of Journalists reports.

29.05.2013 Ban on bike ride under white-red-white flags appealed to UN Human Rights Committee

Andrei Tychyna, activist of the Young Front’s Salihorsk office, submitted a complaint to the UN Human Rights Committee against a ban on the bike ride in support of the Belarusian national symbols back in May 2012.

28.05.2013 UN Human Rights Council hosts news conference on situation in Belarus

A news conference on the human rights situation in Belarus was held in Geneva on Monday within the framework of a session of the UN Human Rights Council.

28.05.2013 Constitutional Court finds no misfits of Constitution and laws in 5 years

The court hasn't checked a single decree or ordinance for conformity with the Constitution since 1996.

28.05.2013 Bialiatski’s letters

Ales Bialiatski, the most famous Belarusian human rights activist, has been in prison for almost two years since August 4th, 2011. This article was firstly published in Belarusian on September 25th, 2012, Bialiatski’s 50th birthday. Unfortunately, now the article is still up-to-date. That’s why today we publish extracts from his letters to family and friends in English.

28.05.2013 Salihorsk human rights defender challenges foreign travel ban for non-payment of utility bills

Salihorsk human rights defender Leanid Markhotka addressed the District Prosecutor with a complaint against the town’s public utility centre. The officials are reportedly going to enforce foreign travel restrictions for persons who have not paid their utility bills for more than one month. The blacklists are said to be sent together with the bills.

28.05.2013 Lukashenka decorates judge involved in harassment of Viasna

The Belarusian leader Aliaksandr Lukashenka awarded the Medal of Honor to Ms. Valiantsina Kulik, Judge of the Supreme Court of Belarus, who considered the case on the dissolution of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” back in 2003, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Belarus service reports.

28.05.2013 Andrej Hajdukou transferred to Viciebsk

Accused of a state treason Andrej Hajdukou will be put on trial in Viciebsk regional court. His mother Volha Hajdukova informed the charter97.org web-site about that.