The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

26.03.2018 Human rights defenders condemn mass detentions ahead and during peaceful assemblies on March 25, 2018

We, representatives of Belarusian human rights organizations, strongly condemn the preemptive detentions of activists throughout the country on the eve of mass events in honor of the centenary of the proclamation of the Belarusian People’s Republic, as well as during and after these peaceful assemblies.

25.03.2018 Viasna observers, protesters, journalists detained in Minsk and across country

Six observers of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” have been detained by the police in Minsk’s central Yakub Kolas Square, which was expected to host an illegal protest by Mikalai Statkevich’s associates. The opposition politician himself was detained earlier this morning and sent to serve 10 days of administrative detention.

22.03.2018 MEPs ‘alarmed’ by lack of ‘tangible progress’ in Belarus’ human rights record

“The situation with regard to basic human rights and democracy in Belarus is far from showing signs of any tangible progress and change,” a group of MEPs said in a letter to Federica Mogherini, Vice-President of the European Commission and High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and Johannes Hahn, European Commissioner for Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations.

22.03.2018 Ales Bialiatski: “We protest against the repressive actions of the authorities ahead of Freedom Day”

As previously reported by the Human Rights Center "Viasna", police in Minsk arrested several opposition figures, who were expected to lead a protest on March 25. The human rights activists are outraged by such actions of the authorities.

21.03.2018 Opposition leaders held ahead of March 25 celebrations

Several leaders of the Belarusian political opposition have been detained today, including Uladzimir Niakliayeu and Viachaslau Siuchyk.

16.03.2018 Weekly picks in figures

The country’s authorities continue abusing legislation to sanction reporters working for local and foreign media.

15.03.2018 Belarus: undisclosed execution comes to light

Amnesty International strongly condemns the execution of Belarusian death row prisoner, Kiryl Kazachok, in October 2017. News of his execution has only recently been disclosed by the family and brings the total number of known executions in Belarus in 2017 to two.

14.03.2018 Authorities block access to political prisoners

The administration of penal colony No. 9 in Horki, Mahilioŭ region, has not allowed representatives of the regional Public Monitoring Commission to meet with political prisoner Mikhail Zhamchuzhny, who is currently held in the facility, mspring.online said.

13.03.2018 Amnesty International: Health concerns for prisoner of conscience Dzmitry Paliyenka

23-year old Belarusian activist, Dzmitry Paliyenka, is serving a two-year prison sentence for peacefully opposing restrictions on cyclists. He is being exposed to conditions that exacerbate his asthma and denied medical treatment for an untreated wound. He is a prisoner of conscience.

12.03.2018 A Year for Human Rights Defenders

“At a time when human rights defenders are being attacked, harassed and stigmatised around the world… we should pay tribute to these thousands of men and women to whom we owe so much.”

09.03.2018 EU statement on the execution of Kiryl Kazachok

In light of the execution in Belarus of Kiryl Kazachok, which took place in October 2017 but was brought to the public's attention only now, the European Union again reaffirms its strong opposition to capital punishment in all circumstances.

09.03.2018 PACE rapporteurs strongly condemn the execution of Kiryl Kazachok

Yves Cruchten (Luxembourg, SOC), General Rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on the abolition of the death penalty, and Andrea Rigoni (Italy, ALDE), former PACE rapporteur on the situation in Belarus, have strongly condemned the execution of Kiryl Kazachok, which allegedly took place in October 2017.

07.03.2018 Death row inmate Kiryl Kazachok executed

Death convict Kiryl Kazachok has been executed by shooting, according to information received by Andrei Paluda, coordinator of the campaign “Human Rights Defenders against the Death Penalty in Belarus”.

01.03.2018 Human Rights Situation in Belarus: February 2018

On February 18, members of local councils were elected in Belarus. The elections, which were extremely passive, prompted criticism from the political opposition and non-partisan domestic observation.

23.02.2018 Reporters Without Borders: Journalists, bloggers barred from vote count in Belarus

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns the explusions of several journalists and bloggers from voting stations in Minsk as votes were being counted after the Belarusian municipal elections on 18 February. RSF regard the evictions, in which violence was used, as deliberate censorship. Observers meanwhile claimed that election fraud took place.