The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

Amnesty International has recently learnt that Mahiliou regional court sentenced Rygor Yuzepchuk to death for the murder of a cellmate in prison number 4 in Mahiliou, his alleged accomplice was sentenced to 16 years. According to media reports the three prisoners had staked their lives on a game of dominos and the losing prisoner was strangled with a scarf on 5 July 2012.

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.

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.

Front Line Defenders released yesterday a statement concerning continuous reprimanding of Ales Bialiatski, including recent 6-month suspension of right to receive food from visitors.

Deputy Chairman of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” Valiantsin Stefanovich addressed on May 17 the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus Uladzimir Makei an appeal in connection with the failure of the Belarusian government to implement the Decision of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on Ales Bialiatski’s case.

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders addresses the Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs with a request to implement Decision of the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on the case of human rights defender Ales Bialiatski.

The Human Rights Center "Viasna" urges the Belarusian authorities to stop the practice of intimidation and pressurization of civic activists and immediately decriminalize the activity of unregistered organizations.

FIDH and the Human Rights Center “Viasna” demand that charges against six people, including two journalists, one human rights defender and one activist, be dropped in relation to their engagement in this years annual commemoration of the Chernobyl nuclear accident.

Reporters Without Borders condemns the arrests of at least six journalists on 26 April while they were covering anti-nuclear marches that environmentalists and opposition activists organize each year on the anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.