20.11.2015 Valiantsin Stefanovich comments on plans to prosecute Belarus mercenaries in Donbass
Interior Minister of Belarus Ihar Shunevich said when talking to reporters on November 19 that a number of Belarusians could face criminal charges for being involved in the Donbass war. Deputy Head of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" Valiantsin Stefanovich has highlighted some aspects of mercenary activities from a legal perspective.
20.11.2015 Svislač court fines activist over memorial event
The Svislač District Court has fined Yury Hlebik 4.5 mln rubles for involvement in a memorial event held to honor the memory of the 1863 anti-Russian uprising participants, which was held on October 31.
20.11.2015 Independent Journalists From Homel Lodged Complaints With Prosecutor General
In addition, the fined freelance journalists are going to file appeals to the US Human Rights Committee.
19.11.2015 Two persons face death verdicts in Homieĺ
The Homieĺ Regional Court has started hearing criminal charges of triple murder brought against two Romanies of Žlobin, Aliaksandr and Rubina, both 23, accused of killing three relatives in October last year.
19.11.2015 Interior Ministry ignores complaints about detention conditions in Smaliavičy
The Ministry of Internal Affairs has rejected an appeal by Leanid Kulakou, an activist of the European Belarus opposition movement, who earlier complained about the conditions of detention in the police department of Smaliavičy.
18.11.2015 Officials say there are no funds to improve conditions in detention facility in Barysaŭ
Opposition activist Zmitser Khvedaruk, who was one of the football fans detained by the police during a match on October 12 in Barysaŭ and held almost 24 hours in the district police department, has complained about the conditions in the local temporary detention facility.
17.11.2015 Viasna: Harassment of Andrei Bandarenka in prison linked to his earlier human rights activities
The Human Rights Center "Viasna" has written to Siarhei Daroshka, head of the Interior Ministry’s Department of Corrections, to highlight the conditions of detention of Andrei Bandarenka, former leader of the Platform Innovation NGO.
16.11.2015 Courts afraid to deal with discrimination cases
The Viciebsk Regional Court heard today a lawsuit dealing with employment discrimination. Earlier, the Court of Polack refused to recognize a fact of discrimination against a former employee of the Polack-Šklovalakno enterprise, Viktar Stukau, over his membership in an independent trade union.
16.11.2015 Campaigner briefly detained in Mahilioŭ
Mikita Fartukh, an activist of a campaign against Presidential Decree No. 3 “On prevention of social dependency”, was briefly detained by the police in Mahilioŭ, while campaigning outside the Radzima cinema last evening.
16.11.2015 FIDH: "These despicable attacks are directed at all of humanity"
FIDH and its French member organisation, LDH (Ligue des droits de l’Homme et du citoyen), firmly and unequivocally condemn the terrorist attacks that took place during the night of 13-14 November 2015 in Paris and Saint Denis.
13.11.2015 Censors read opposition activist’s correspondence with Human Rights Committee
Opposition activist Illia Dabratvor says he has found in his mailbox a letter sent to him from the United Nations Human Rights Committee. It contained information relating to the objections of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry to a complaint filed by the activist. The envelope had been opened and had no postal stamps on it, says he.
12.11.2015 Viasna seeks details in case of Mikhail Zhamchuzhny
The Human Rights Center “Viasna” has written to the Chairman of the Supreme Court asking to disclose details of the criminal case of Mikhail Zhamchuzhny, a co-founder of the Platform Innovation NGO, who stood trial behind closed doors.
12.11.2015 MFA: International rules met in death convict’s case
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has replied to Andrei Paluda, coordinator of the campaign “Human Rights Defenders Against the Death Penalty in Belarus”, who earlier notified the MFA about the registration of an individual communication submitted to the United Nations Human Rights Committee on behalf of Siarhei Ivanou, a resident of Rečyca sentenced to death in March 2015.
11.11.2015 Biaroza officials refuse to provide information on election results
“The Biaroza district executive committee sees no reason to provide the results of voting at each polling station,” says a response received by observers Siarhei Rusetski and Tamara Shchapiotkina.
11.11.2015 State Border Committee Chairman: “Attempts to politicize searches are means of exerting pressure on officials”
Siarhei Maltsau, Chairman of the State Border Committee, has published a post on the department’s official website in response to the complaints of citizens in the framework of a campaign “Stop the outrage on the border: Support human rights defenders”.
