21.05.2015 Riga summit: Human rights defenders urge to release all political prisoners
The participants of the Civil Society Forum held in Riga as part of the Eastern Partnership summit have demanded to release all political prisoners in the EaP member states without delay, euroradio.fm reports.
21.05.2015 Belarusian Supreme Court asks Poland to outlaw Belsat TV trade mark
The Supreme Court of Belarus calls on the Polish authorities to ban Belsat TV from using its trade mark.
21.05.2015 Dunja Mijatović: No cooperation with countries where human rights are violated
The first Eastern Partnership (EaP) Media Conference started in Riga. Belarusian media representatives are taking part in it.
21.05.2015 European Belarus activist fined, two more detained in Smaliavičy
The Smaliavičy District Court has sentenced Maksim Viniarski, activist of the European Belarus opposition movement, to a fine of 5.4 mln rubles on charges of insulting a police officer (Article 23.5 of the Administrative Code).
21.05.2015 Restrictions on street protests in Viciebsk violate international human rights standards
In March, human rights activist Pavel Levinau wrote to the General Directorate of Justice of the Viciebsk Regional Executive Committee to protest against decision No. 881 of the Viciebsk City Executive Committee “On mass events in the city of Viciebsk”. A month later he received an answer: the decision is fully consistent with the Constitution and international treaties.
21.05.2015 Ales Bialiatski: No changes for the better in Belarus
Donald Tusk is deceived, there are no improvements in Minsk.
20.05.2015 Political prisoner Yury Rubtsou to stand trial on May 27
The trial of a political prisoner Yury Rubtsou will be held on 27 May in the court of the Pružany district. The criminal charges under Article 415 of the Criminal Code (“evasion of serving punishment of restraint of liberty”) will be heard by Judge Mikalai Repikha. The political prisoner faces up to three years of imprisonment.
20.05.2015 Navapolatsk activist fined Br3.6
Dzmitry Dziakau, activist of the Organizing Committee on creation of the Belarusian Christian Democracy party fined 20 basic units (Br3.6 million).
20.05.2015 Ales Bialiatski urges EU to comply with clear value-based criteria in relations with regimes of Belarus and Azerbaijan (VIDEO)
On May 20, Ales Bialiatski, head of the HRC "Viasna" and Vice-President of the International Federation for Human Rights, spoke at the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Conference in Riga.
20.05.2015 MPs refuse to address language discrimination
The Standing Committee on Education, Culture and Science of the House of Representatives has considered a report on violations of the rights of Belarusian-language citizens in the Salihorsk district submitted by local human rights defenders. However, MPs found no reasons to change the law.
20.05.2015 Leanid Kulakou: “I called it the torture cell”
Leanid Kulakou, an activist of the European Belarus opposition movement, has told the Human Rights Center “Viasna” about the conditions of detention in the Smaliavičy-based jail, where he recently served 7 days of administrative arrest.
20.05.2015 Ambulance called in to persons on hunger strike in Mahilyou
Two persons in Mahilyou, who are protesting against illegal rehousing from flats to a hostel, have been taken bad.
20.05.2015 Supreme Court turns down appeal by Mahilioŭ journalist
The Supreme Court represented by Deputy Chairman Ruslan Aniskevich considered an appeal by journalist Ales Burakou against an earlier decision of Mahilioŭ’s Lieninski District Court of 8 October 2014, which fined him 6 million rubles for the illegal production of media products, as well as the decision of the Mahilioŭ Regional Court of 20 November 2014, which upheld the judgment.
20.05.2015 Human rights activist asks Prosecutor’s Office to investigate police violence against football fans in Baranavičy
Human rights activist Siarhei Housha has filed a complaint in the Baranavičy District Prosecutor’s Office against employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs who beat football fans outside the Lakamatyŭ stadium on May 3.
20.05.2015 Eastern Partnership Civil Society Conference opens in Riga
The Eastern Partnership Civil Society Conference has opened today in Riga to address the issue of “Empowering Civil Society in the Eastern Partnership: Current Challenges and Future Scenarios”. The forum is attended by the chairman of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" and Vice-President of the International Federation for Human Rights Ales Bialiatski.
