News on the topic: human rights defenders
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.
09.03.2011 Expulsion of counsel Pavel Sapelka from the Minsk City Bar Association: opinions of human rights defenders
'It is an unprecedented case of pressurization of counsels. I think that reprisals are used against independent lawyers on any grounds. Actually, an end is put to the independent advocacy by this. The case of Pavel Sapelka is a clear signal to all other counsels who take part in the case concerning the events of 19 December and other politically motivated cases, and in any cases in general. It is a warning to all counsels of the country. All trials concerning the events of 19 December become a complete fiction since then. They turn into a tragic show organized by the authorities to lynch their opponents.
04.03.2011 International pressure on Belarusian authorities increases
Today, on 4 March, Vice-President of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Chair of the Human Rights Center Viasna Ales Bialiatski is present at the session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
01.03.2011 Will Ryhor Vasilevich accept Ales Bialiatski’s proposal?
Ales Bialiatski, Chair of the Human Rights Center Viasna, vice-president of the International Federation of Human Rights Ryhor Vasilevich to cancel the warning issued to him by the General Procuracy on 16 February. Human rights activist reminds to the Prosecutor General about the elimination of the official registration of Viasna, which, in his opinion, was connected with the active monitoring of the presidential elections in 2001. This step of the authorities had been declared unlawful by the UN: the Human Rights Committee of this influential organization stated that it was a violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights by the Belarusian authorities.
28.02.2011 Ales Bialiatski urges Prosecutor General to investigate torture reports
Ales Bialiatski, vice-president of the International Federation for Human Rights and chair of the Human Rights Center “Viasna”, has addressed Belarusian Prosecutor General Ryhor Vasilevich with a demand to investigate the alleged torture facts reported by former presidential candidate Ales Mikhalevich in his statement for the media on 28 February.
23.02.2011 Stefanovich demands consideration on the merits of his appeal
Human rights defender Valiantsin Stefanovich keeps appealing the illegal actions by the police during the search at Viasna’s office on 20 December, when his personal property was seized.
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 Human rights defenders arrange payment of damage claim entered by Presidential Administration
On 21 February, Viasna’s deputy chair Valiantsin Stefanovich, leader of the Foundation for Legal Technologies Development Alena Tankachova and deputy chair of the Belarusian Association of Journalists Andrei Bastunets, acting on behalf of Belarusian citizens, paid the material damage, brought by the Presidential Administration against the defendants in the 19 December mass riot criminal case.
18.02.2011 Belarusian human rights defenders inform UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers about facts of pressure on lawyers
We, the undersigned human rights organizations of the Republic of Belarus and individual human rights defenders in personal capacity, would like to inform you about facts of pressure on lawyers by the executive authorities of Belarus, particularly, the withdrawal of licenses imposed on lawyers Uladzimir TOUSTSIK, Tamara HARAYEVA, Aleh AHEYEU and Tatsiana AHEYEVA, something threatening an access of their clients to an effective remedy and retarding the course of justice.
18.02.2011 Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders urges the Belarusian authorities to repeal the warning issued against Mr. Ales Bialatski
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Belarus.
17.02.2011 We will not stop our activities: statement by Human Rights Center “Viasna” concerning a warning by General Prosecutor’s Office
On 16 February 2011, Ales Bialiatski, chair of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” and vice-president of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), received an official warning on the inadmissibility of lawbreaking signed by Deputy Prosecutor General Mr. Kuklis.
17.02.2011 Czech Helsinki Committee supports Belarusian civil society
“Czech Republic, as well as the European Union and the Council of Europe, should support the efforts of Belarusians, both in respect for human rights in Belarus and for the sake of Belarus as a social state, and a future democratic law-governed state”, says a letter signed by chair of Czech Helsinki Committee Anna Sabatova and received from Prague through the Belarusian Helsinki Committee.
16.02.2011 Valiantsin Stefanovich: “Counsels’ community is being gagged through the Ministry of Justice”
On 16 February reports began to appear that the Qualification Commission of the Ministry of Justice had initiated the revoking the licenses of a number of Belarusian lawyers – Iryna Khalip’s former counsels Uladzimir Toustsik and Tamara Harayeva, Ales Mikhalevich’s counsel Aleh Aheyeu, as well as the latter’s mother lawyer Ms. Tatsiana Aheyeva.
16.02.2011 General Prosecutor’s Office issues warning to Ales Bialiatski
Ales Bialiatski, chair of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” has been officially warned by the General Prosecutor’s Office of Belarus for alleged legislative violations committed by the human rights defender on behalf of “Viasna”.
15.02.2011 Nasta Loika spent 15 minutes at military counter-intelligence
After receiving many telephone calls from an investigator of the military counter-intelligence, human rights defender Nasta Loika agreed to come for a talk on 15 Febraury. Though the investigator said he would pass her an official writ after her coming to his office, he didn't keep his promise.
