News on the topic: international organizations
18.04.2011 Freedom House: Belarus Internet Freedom Status -- Not Free
The Freedom House international NGO that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom and human rights has released its annual Internet Freedom report entitled "Freedom on the Net 2011".
15.04.2011 Parliaemntary Assembly of the Council of Europe urges US, Japan and Belarus to abolish the death penalty
On 14 April the Assembly today urged the US and Japan, as observer states to the Council of Europe, and Belarus, which aspires to membership, to join the growing consensus among democratic countries that protect human rights and human dignity by abolishing the death penalty. In a resolution based on a report by Renate Wohlwend (Liechtenstein, EPP/CD), PACE said: “The European experience has shown conclusively that the death penalty is not needed to check violent crime, and that political leaders who led the way towards abolition did not suffer any backlash from public opinion.”
07.04.2011 Belarusian authorities don’t want any independent investigation into 19 December events
The Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs refuses to assist an independent investigation of the events within the frames of the OSCE Moscow Mechanism.
05.04.2011 Ministry of Justice demands explanations from Belarusian Association of Journalists
The Ministry of Justice wants the BAJ to explain “the legal grounds for activity of the International Federation of Journalists on the territory of Belarus” and the grounds on which its press-cards s are issued by the Belarusian Association of Journalists. This is stated in the official letter of the ministry, dated 1 April and signed by A.Kirychenka, Chair of the NGOs department.
05.04.2011 Public coalition for the EU-Belarus visa-free movement launched
A number of well-known Belarusian NGOs and think tanks have joined forces within a public VISA-FREE coalition. Assisted by partners from EU member states, Belarusians are going to advocate the idea of visa-free travel between Belarus and other European countries.
31.03.2011 OSCE office in Minsk is closed
Head of the office, German diplomat Benedict Haller, leaves Belarus today.
30.03.2011 European Criminal Bar Association condemns disbarment of Belarusian lawyers
The European Criminal Bar Association (ECBA) was informed by the Human Right Committee of the Polish Bar and other sources of attempts by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus to initiate and endorse restrictions and disbarment against several lawyers who have undertaken the defence of persons suspected or accused of participating in the events that took place in Minsk on 19–20 December 2010.
18.03.2011 Belarus representatives duck dialogue at UN Human Rights Council
On 14 March, the 16th session of the UN Human Rights Council adopted a joint statement on the situation in Belarus, which was signed by 45 countries, including all the EU members. The statement calls the Belarusian authorities and President Aliaksandr Lukashenka in particular to promptly and unconditionally release and rehabilitate all the persons arrested on political grounds after the 19 December 2010 election.
17.03.2011 European lawyers address Minister of Justice
The Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe has addressed Belarusian Minister of Justice Viktar Halavanau with an open letter, expressing its concern over the recent facts of harassment of Belarusian advocates.
09.03.2011 Member of International Observation Mission denied entry to Belarus
Today, on 9 March 2011 at 3:20 am, while crossing the border by train Kyiv - Minsk, the assistant to the Representative of the International Observation Mission of the Committee on International Control over the Situation with Human Rights in Belarus, member of the “Foundation for Regional Initiatives” (organization – participant of the Committee), citizen of the Ukraine Maxim Kitsyuk was denied entry to the territory of the Republic of Belarus.
09.03.2011 Gabriela Knaul, UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, was informed about persecution of counsel Sapelka
On 4 March a new report of harassment of lawyers in Belarus was submitted to Gabriela Knaul, the UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers.
04.03.2011 IFJ and PACE call on Belarusian authorities to stop silencing media
Mats Johansson, Standing Rapporteur of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) on Media Freedom, and Arne König, President of the European Federation of Journalists, today made the following statement on the situation of the media in Belarus:
22.02.2011 UN human rights chief concerned over first sentence in riot case
Navi Pillay, UN high commissioner for human rights, on Monday expressed deep concern at what she described as a harsh sentence handed down to Belarusian opposition activist Vasil Parfiankou, BelaPAN said.
22.02.2011 Belarusian HR defenders submit additional data on harassment of advocates to UN Special Rapporteur on Independence of Judges and Lawyers
Belarusian human rights defenders have submitted additional information on harassment of lawyers to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers Ms. Gabriela Knaul.
21.02.2011 Alliance Defense Fund Legal Counsel urges the Ministry of Justice and the Belarus Republican Bar Association "to vacate their current punitive actions towards lawyers"
Roger Kiska, legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, a legal alliance of more than 1700 lawyers dedicated to the protection of religious freedom internationally, has addressed the Belarusian Ministry of Justice and the Republican Bar Association with a statement, expressing his concern "with the existing treatment of lawyers who are currently defending individuals, particularly from opposition parties, who were imprisoned as a result of post-election peaceful demonstrations."
