The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

04.08.2017 Let’s celebrate International Day of Solidarity with the civil society of Belarus

It’s 2017, and we would like to be happy that the world has changed, becoming more humane and kinder. But unfortunately, this minute the trade unions are being searched, and people are arrested after expressing solidarity with their colleagues, the death penalty is still in place.

10.05.2017 Viasna still views Ministry of Justice’s decision on registration as predictable

The relevance of the issue is due to the preparation of an alternative report to the United Nations Human Rights Committee currently done by a coalition of human rights organizations. The HRC experts included a request for clarification of the situation with the refusal to register the Human Rights Center "Viasna" in the list of issues to be addressed in the framework of Belarus’ reporting to the Committee.

29.06.2016 Ales Bialiatski: government opposes any human rights activity

The government of Belarus continues to ignore human rights issues, Ales Bialiatski said in his comment on a recent decision by the Mahilioŭ authorities to deny registration to a local Center For Gender Studies Ruža.

26.04.2016 Viasna. The Beginning

On 26 April 1996, several Belarusian activists founded a human rights initiative called "Viasna-96", which later became what we know today as the Human Rights Center "Viasna". On this day, the activists started searching for the protesters detained during the Čarnobyĺski šliach demonstration.

12.04.2016 Court Denies Registration to Mother's Movement 328

Activists will appeal against the decision in the Supreme Court of Belarus.

18.03.2016 Niakliayeu’s Association Denied Registration

As said by the politician, he had been denied registration on formal grounds.

14.03.2016 Well, we'll wait

Valiantsin Stefanovich reflects on the situation around the conference on the death penalty, which was held in Minsk last week, in the context of problems with the registration of the HRC "Viasna" and the government's general policy towards the non-governmental organizations in Belarus.

26.02.2016 Lawtrend and Assembly of NGOs issue annual report on freedom of association

The Assembly of Democratic NGOs and the Center for Legal Transformation Lawtrend have prepared an annual report "Freedom of Associations and Legal Conditions for Non-Profit Organizations In Belarus".

23.02.2016 Student NGOs protest anti-government allegations

The country’s three leading NGOs working for students’ rights have sent a collective appeal to the Belarusian State Medical University about a message posted on VKontakte social network by a representative of University’s Student Self-Government Coordination Council.

04.01.2016 FIDH urges Belarus’ MFA to implement UN HRC decision in Ales Bialiatski case

The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) has written to the Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Uladzimir Makei urging the government to respect the country’s international obligations within the framework of the United Nations and to take steps to implement key requirements of the Human Rights Committee in the case of Ales Bialiatski, including the registration of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" and cancellation of his criminal record.

01.12.2015 Minsk authorities refuse to register New Alternative NGO

The Department of Justice of the Minsk city executive committee has refused to register a public association entitled “New Alternative”, previously known as “Alternative”.

26.11.2015 Russia: NGOs officially portrayed as “foreign agents”, “anti-constitutional” and “anti-Russian”, what next?

The “war” against the human rights movement in Russia is reaching a new stage. While more than a hundred NGOs have been officially labelled as “foreign agents” since June 2013, they are now being targeted for so-called “anti-constitutional” and “anti-Russian” activities - accusations reminiscent of the Soviet era repressive rhetoric.

15.10.2015 Supreme Court of Belarus Refused Registration Of BCD

On October 14 the Supreme Court of Belarus dismissed a complaint of the organizing committee for creation of the Belarusian Christian Democratic Party against the denial of the Justice Ministry to register the party.

25.09.2015 Schoolchildren forced to join BRSM in Salihorsk

Local representatives of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee in Salihorsk have received information about cases of coercion and threats to students by the school administration in an attempt to force them join the pro-government youth organization Belarusian Republican Youth Union (BRSM).