23.09.2009 US condemn human rights violations in Belarus

The United States are still deeply concerned by violations in Belarus.

It has been stated by the US representative Douglas Griffin at the session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

As said by the diplomat, Belarus is among the countries which cause highest concern in connection with crackdown on peaceful protests, threats to activities of human rights activists and oppositionists, oppression of minorities, alongside with Afghanistan, Burma, Cuba, Iran, Russia and Sri Lanka, the website of “European Belarus” informs.

22.09.2009 Foreign human rights activist refused Belarusian visa

Joanna Kurocz, member of the Civil Rights Defenders international organization, has not been allowed to receive a Belarusian visa, say representatives of an international journalists’ mission, currently on a visit to Belarus. During their stay in Minsk, the journalists have had a number of meetings with representatives of Belarusian mass media, both independent and state-owned ones. They were also invited to a meeting with Deputy Chair of the President’s Administration Natallia Piatkevich. The results of the visit will be reported during a final briefing at the International Education Center on 23 September.

17.09.2009 Swedish human rights activists: The world must remember victims of flagrant crimes in Belarus

Östgruppen human rights organization issued a statement on the tenth anniversary of disappearance of opponents of Lukashenka’s regime.

“Ten years ago, Viktar Hanchar and Anatol Krasouski were kidnapped and killed in the capital of Belarus. Officially, the guilty persons have not been found so far, but an independent investigation revealed: people from Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s inner circle are most likely responsible for the crimes,” the statement says.

01.09.2009 Well-known public figures address world leaders concerning unlawful imprisonment of Vaukavysk entrepreneurs

Well-known public and political activists of Belarus have addressed the world leaders with the request to foster the independent legal expertise of the criminal case that was brought against Mikalai Autukhovich, Yyry Liavonau and Uladzimir Asipenka. The text of the address was submitted to the heads of the EU countries, the EU president, the Swedish speaker Frederick Reifeldt, the president of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso, the US president Barack Obama and the president of Russia Dmitry Medvedev.

24.08.2009 Supreme Court ignores appeal by human rights activists

The Belarusian Human Rights House and the Human Rights House Foundation have received a reply to their appeal to the Supreme Court of Belarus. The official letter signed by Deputy Chair of the Supreme Court Valery Vyshkevich left the appeal without reply saying that the claimants ‘are not legally interested persons’ under the Civil Procedural Code of Belarus.

11.08.2009 Brest: action against death penalty

On 10 August in Brest members of Young Front held an action for the abolition of death penalty in Belarus. The activists held out leaflets of Amnesty International in Savetskaya Street in the center of the city.

04.08.2009 FIDH President Souhayr Belhassen refused in receiving Belarusian visa

Souhayr Belhassen, President of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), has been denied Belarusian entry visa in Belarusian consulate in Paris.

06.07.2009 Belarus defies Council of Europe call for a moratorium

The authorities in Belarus continue to ignore international pressure on them to declare a moratorium on the death penalty, Amnesty International and the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, said today. The two organizations have just learnt that the Brest regional court sentenced a 30-year-old man to death on 29 June.

The sentence was pronounced less than a week after the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly voted on 23 June in favour of restoring the Special Guest status to the Parliament of Belarus on the condition that Belarus declares a moratorium on the execution of the death penalty.

06.07.2009 HRH Network against freedom of association abuses in the Belarusian legislation

HRH Network has joined the campaign “No to Article 193.1!” The campaign is headed by the NGO Assembly and its goal is to force cancellation of the article 193.1 of the Belarusian Criminal Code.

01.07.2009 Amnesty International and Belarusian Helsinki Committee adopted joint statement concerning new death sentenced in Belarus

‘The Belarusian authorities continue to ignore international pressure on them to declare a moratorium on the death penalty’, RFE/RL quotes a press release of Amnesty International.

30.06.2009 Uladzimir Katsora stopped hunger-strike

The leader of Homel oppositionists Uladzimir Katsora, who has been arrested for an action in the memory of the police general Yury Zakharanka, stopped dry hunger-strike after six days.

30.06.2009 Follow-up Note on the View Belyatsky et al. vs. Belarus

The Human Rights House Foundation (Oslo, Norway, and Geneva, Switzerland) and the Belarusian Human Rights House in exile in Vilnius, Lithuania, hereby submit the present follow-up note to the Human Rights Committee (hereinafter, “HR Committee”) on the View Belyatsky et al. vs. Belarus on the communication No. 1296/2004 of 24 July 2007, published on 7 August 2007 (hereinafter, “the View”).

25.06.2009 Ales Bialiatski: PACE’s requirements are an additional stimulus for Viasna’s members to continue their activities

In its recent resolution on the situation in Belarus, PACE called upon the Belarusian authorities to allow registration to the Nasha Viasna human rights organization, which is one of the essential conditions for the country to meet the Council of Europe standards. According to Ales Bialiatski, the requirement is an additional stimulus for Viana’s members to continue their activities.

24.06.2009 Front Line joins Stop 193.1! campaign

Front Line calls for the repeal of Article 193.1 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus in support of the campaign “STOP 193.1!” lead by the Assembly of Pro-Democratic NGOs, the largest Belarusian coalition of NGOs. Article 193.1 criminalises any independent human rights initiative in Belarus and gives state officials the power to stop activities of human rights organisations at any time.

19.06.2009 Amnesty International: Council of Europe must remember about Belarusian political prisoners

On June 23 PACE deputies will vote on the issue of returning Special Guest status to Belarus.

Whatever the result of the vote would be, the human rights organisation “Amnesty International” calls upon the Assembly not to give up attempts to convince Belarus of necessity to announce official moratorium on capital punishment, and in the future – to abolish capital punishment. Besides, the Assembly should join in calls on immediate and unconditional release of 11 persons recognized as prisoners of conscience by Amnesty International, the statement of the organisation reads, “Viasna” informs.