The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

Baranavichy human rights activist Siarhei Housha sent to the Prosecutor General of Belarus a supervisory appeal against the refusals of the court of first instance and the appeal court to consider his lawsuits concerning the failure of the Republic of Belarus to pay him a compensation for moral damages, as required by a decision of the UN Human Rights Committee.

On 4 June the deputy head of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" participated in an interactive dialogue about the report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus.

On 1 April, the opening day of the new office of the HRC “Viasna”, the human rights defenders presented new analytical editions, shared their plans for the future and defined the priorities for their current activities.

On 30 March the presentation of the books "Bialiatski's Case" and "Enlightened by Belarusian Issue" was held in Babruisk.

On 5 March Mr. Housha applied to the United Nations Human Rights Committee to inform it about the following situation.

A curious statement was made by Uladzimir Rabavolau, deputy chairman of the Operations and Analytical Centre (OAC) at the President’s Administration, in his interview to Radio Liberty last week. According to him, the websites blocked for public access by resolutions of the OAC of June 29, 2010, may appeal the restrictions with the authorities. And, if they fix the alleged flaws, access will be restored.

We wish you to see the year of 2013 as the time of hopes and expectations come true and all obstacles dispelled by a wind of change, and every step forward being fruitful and joyful! We sincerely thank you for your understanding and support in 2012, a very difficult period for us. Let's stay together in the New Year!

Valiantsin Stefanovich, Deputy Chairman of the Human Rights Center "Viasna", shares his professional assessment of the year. Noting the problems of the entire civil society, the deterioration of the authorities’ contacts with international organizations in the field of human rights, Valiantsin Stefanovich stresses that the main task of human rights defenders for the next year is the same – the release of political prisoners.

Human rights defenders and representatives of the civil society celebrated this important date in different ways in different parts of the country.