The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

10.08.2018 Statement of the Belarusian National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum

In connection with the wave of searches in the editorial offices of the media and the detention of journalists

09.08.2018 BelaPAN chief editor detained, more journalists remain in custody

Iryna Leushyna, chief editor of the BelaPAN news agency, has been detained today, tut.by said. Her apartment has been searched and computer equipment seized.

08.08.2018 Four journalists still in detention, as searches of media continue

Maryna Zolatava, Hanna Kaltyhina and Halina Ulasik, editors of tut.by, the country’s leading online newspaper, as well as belapan.by journalist Tatsiana Karaviankova, remain in custody on charges of illegal access to the government-owned news agency BelTA. The whereabouts of one more tut.by editor, Hanna Yermachonak, is still unknown.

08.08.2018 Council of Europe: Liberate all arrested journalists

Searches and arrests in Belarusian media. Statement by the CoE's Spokesperson of the Secretary General

08.08.2018 Statement on searches of media outlets and arrests of journalists

On August 7, the Investigative Committee of Belarus said that it opened a criminal case under Part 2, Art. 349 of the Criminal Code (“illegal access to computer information obtained out of other personal interest, which caused significant damage”). Reports also said that the law-enforcement agencies detained journalists Maryna Zolatava, Hanna Kaltyhina, Halina Ulasik, Ulyiana Babayed (tut.by) and Tatsiana Karaviankova (BelaPAN). According to our information, several more journalists were also detained.

07.08.2018 7 journalists held in criminal case against independent websites

The Minsk offices of tut.by and belapan.by, Belarus’s biggest independent websites, have been searched by police this morning.

07.08.2018 Valiantsin Stefanovich: investigation fails to prove guilt in trade union case

The criminal case of trade unions is, above all, an echo of the global problems related to NGOs’ access to funds, says human rights activist Valiantsin Stefanovich, who has been observing the trial of REP leaders Henadz Fiadynich and Ihar Komlik. He has analyzed in detail the first phase of the trial, emphasizing the objectives pursued by the investigators.

06.08.2018 Viasna asks UN Special Rapporteur to intercede for LGBT activist Vika Biran

The Human Rights Center "Viasna" has written to Mr. David Kaye, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, asking him to intervene in the case of LGBTQ+ activist Vika Biran, who was convicted for publicly expressing her civil position towards a homophobic article posted on the official website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

03.08.2018 Belarus: trial observation reports breaches of international law in the trial of two trade union leaders

Paris-Geneva, August 3, 2018 – On July 30, 2018, the trial of two trade union leaders, Mr. Henadz Fiadynich and Mr. Ihar Komlik, opened before the Saviecki District Court of Minsk. The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (FIDH-OMCT), which sent a judicial observation mission to Belarus earlier this week, reports a number of violations of fair trial standards, and reiterates its call to the authorities to put an end to all forms of harassment against human rights defenders in the country.

03.08.2018 Lars Bünger: I really hope changes can happen soon in Belarus

Viasna has talked to Lars Bünger, Chairman of Libereco – Partnership for Human Rights, one of our long-standing partners working on a number of crucial human rights issues in Belarus.

03.08.2018 Pope Francis declares death penalty inadmissible in all cases

Pope Francis has changed the teachings of the Catholic faith to officially oppose the death penalty in all circumstances, the Vatican has said.

02.08.2018 Human Rights Situation in Belarus: July 2018

During the month, there were numerous cases of pressure on independent journalists and bloggers, freelancers, as well as arrests and administrative detention of peaceful protesters.

01.08.2018 US LGBTQ poet and activist barred from Belarus

Alok Vaid-Menon, an Indian American performance artist, poet, and LGBTQ rights activist, was not allowed to enter Belarus, after arriving at the Minsk international airport last evening, RFE/RL Belarus service said.

30.07.2018 Trial opens in trade union leaders’ tax-evasion case

The Court of Saviecki district of Minsk began today hearing the charges against Henadz Fiadynich, leader of the independent trade union of radio-electronic industry (REP), and the trade inion’s accountant Ihar Komlik. The activists are charged with large-scale tax-evasion (Part 2, Art. 243 of the Criminal Code).