14.04.2010 International Federation for Human Rights adopted resolution on situation in Eastern Europe and Central Asia

The 37th Congress of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) took place on 6-8 April in Yerevan. A number of urgent resolutions were adopted by the organization, including the Resolution on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders and the Appalling State of Fundamental Freedoms in Eastern Europe and Central Asia that was presented by the Human Rights Center 'Viasna'. Here we propose to your attention the full text of this document.

09.04.2010 International human rights community condemns execution of Andrei Zhuk and Vasil Yuzepchuk

A wide range of foreign and international human rights organizations addressed Aliaksandr Lukashenka and Siarhei Sikorski with a joint statement to condemn the ongoing use of the death penalty in Belarus. Here we present to your attention the full text of the address.

07.04.2010 Official Minsk whitewashes itself before UN

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus has passed to the UN Human Rights Committee the National Report on the situation of fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens within the guidelines of the Universal Periodical Review, a procedure that had been established by the UN Human Rights Council in 2006. This is the first time that such a large document is received from Belarus. The report will be heard at the session of the Human Rights Council in May.

01.04.2010 UN Human Rights Committee deplores recent executions in Belarus

The UN Human Rights Committee has deplored the recent execution of two death row inmates in Belarus, BelaPAN reports.

26.03.2010 European HR organizations condemn detention of Viasna activists

Civil Rights Defenders (Sweden), Belarusian Human Rights House (Lithuania), Human Rights House Foundation (Norway) and the Norwegian Helsinki Committee condemn the detention of three activists of the Human Rights Center ‘Viasna’. "They were supposed to have applied for permission to assembly, but since the organisation they represent has been denied official registration several times, the application would not have been granted. In practice their right to assembly is severely restricted" says AneTusvik Bonde, Regional Manager at the Human Rights House Foundation.

23.03.2010 Council of Europe condemns executions in Belarus

The Council of Europe strongly condemns the execution of Andrei Zhuk and of Vasily Yuzepchuk in Belarus. Death penalty is barbaric and degrading, and this is why it has been abolished by the Council of Europe through Protocol 6 to the European Convention on Human Rights. The authorities of Belarus are the only remaining ones in Europe who execute people.

18.03.2010 Over 110 cities against Europe's last dictatorship

Tomorrow, on Thursday 18th March 2010, the Young European Federalists (JEF) and numerous global partners will protest against Europe's last standing dictatorship on the fourth anniversary of the disputed presidential elections in Belarus.

17.03.2010 Committee to Protect Journalists denounces police raids on independent journalists in Belarus

The US-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has condemned Tuesday`s wave of police raids targeting independent reporters in Belarus.

03.03.2010 Valiantsin Stefanovich: Human rights defenders welcome the participation of official representatives of Belarus in the 4th World Congress Against Death Penalty

The 4th World Congress against the Death Penalty took place in Geneva at the end of February. More than 1 500 lawyers, representatives of human rights organizations, well-known civil and political activists from almost 100 countries took part in the work of this forum.

11.02.2010 Valiantsin Stefanovich: We call on the Belarusian Governmental to cooperate with the UN as actively as we do

On 11 February, human rights defenders presented their report on the procedure of the Universal Periodical Review of Belarus in the UN Human Rights Committee.

09.02.2010 Belarusian observers report minor violations in Ukrainian presidential election

Belarusian ENEMO (European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations) mission observers have recorded a number of violations during the presidential election in Ukraine, the BelaPan news agency reports quoting the Network’s long-term observers coordinator Ali Aliev. However, the violations were not systematic and failed to affect the election results.

05.02.2010 PACE welcomes creation of task group on death penalty at Belarus’ Parliament

Mevlut Cavusoglu, the chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) welcomes the creation of the task group to study death penalty at the National Assembly of Belarus. He made this statement in his speech to the members of the assembly, BelTA learnt from the PACE press service.

05.02.2010 Belarusian civil society activists should be invited to Euronest, believes Pro-dem NGO Assembly

The Euronest Parliamentary Assembly should invite representatives of both Belarusian political parties and the civil society, says the Assembly of Belarusian Pro-Democratic NGOs. The composition of the Belarusian delegation is currently under consideration. However, due to the absence of a legitimate Parliament in the country, any Belarusian delegation will be unofficial.

04.02.2010 Belarus national released on demand by Strasbourg Court

Ihar Koktysh, 29-year-old Belarusian activist and rock musician, charged with a grave crime by the Belarusian authorities, has been released from a pre-trial detention center in Simferopol, Crimea peninsula, Ukraine, after 2.5 years of imprisonment, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports.

03.02.2010 Amnesty International: Another political prisoner in Belarus

Believer Ivan Mikhailau, convicted on February 1, has been recognized prisoner of conscience.

The court of the Minsk district sentenced Ivan MIkhailau to three months in jail.