The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

24.09.2020 Amnesty International calls to release prisoner of conscience Maryia Kalesnikava

Belarusian authorities abducted opposition leader Maryia Kalesnikava on 7 September. After she resisted expulsion from Belarus she was detained and, on 16 September, charged with “undermining national security”. The authorities are rushing her prosecution to make it a precedent and serve as a warning to all peaceful protesters, for whom she has become a symbol of resistance, dignity and courage. Maryia Kalesnikava is a prisoner of conscience and must be released immediately and unconditionally.

23.09.2020 German, Polish and Swiss MPs take over godparenthood for Liliya Ulasava, Illia Salei, Vital and Yahor Prakapchuk

Members of the European Parliament Katarina Barley (Germany) and Robert Biedron (Poland) and Members of the Swiss National Council Marianne Streiff-Feller and Lilian Studer have taken over godparenthood for political prisoners in Belarus as part Libereco’s solidarity campaign #WeStandBYyou.

22.09.2020 Over 250 criminal cases opened since launch of election

Since the announcement of the presidential election in early May, the authorities have opened over 250 criminal cases targeting presidential candidates, members of their campaign teams, and peaceful protesters. Viasna knows the names of 200 persons affected by these cases.

21.09.2020 Front Line Defenders urges Belarus to release Marfa Rabkova

Front Line Defenders is deeply concerned by the detention of Marfa (Maria) Rabkova as well as the harassment of her husband Vadzim Zharomski.

21.09.2020 Viasna activist Marfa Rabkova is political prisoner

Joint statement of the Belarusian human rights community

21.09.2020 MPs from Poland and Germany take over prisoners’ godparenthood for Andrei Novikau, Uladzimir Tsyhanovich and Dzmitry Kazlou

As part of Libereco’s solidarity campaign #WeStandBYyou, Tomasz Frankowski (European Parliament, Poland), Franziska Brantner (German Bundestag) and Niklas Nienaß (European Parliament, Germany) have taken over godparenthood for political prisoners in Belarus.

19.09.2020 Arrested lawyer Maksim Znak declares hunger strike to protest criminal charges

Maksim Znak, lawyer and member of the presidium of the Coordination Council, has been officially charged under Part 3 of Art. 361 (calls for actions aimed at harming the national security of the Republic of Belarus) of the Criminal Code. In an act of protest, the arrested lawyer went on a hunger strike, according to his counsel Dzmitry Layeuski.

17.09.2020 12 more persons called political prisoners over "rioting" charges

Joint statement by the human rights organizations of Belarus

17.09.2020 Maryia Kalesnikava faces formal charges

Maryia Kalesnikava, member of the presidium of the Coordination Council and former campaign manager of presidential nominee Viktar Babaryka, has been officially charged under Part 3 of Art. 361 of the Criminal Code (calls for actions aimed at harming the national security of the Republic of Belarus committed with the use of the media and the Internet).

15.09.2020 Three more German MPs take over godparenthood for Belarusian political prisoners

As part of the solidarity campaign #WeStandBYyou of Libereco – Partnership for Human Rights, three more MPs have taken over a godparenthood for political prisoners in Belarus. Aydan Özoguz (German Bundestag, SPD) Sergey Lagodinsky (European Parliament, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) und Claudia Müller (German Bundestag, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) call for their immediate and unconditional release.

12.09.2020 Human rights organisations call for immediate release of detained lawyers

Open statement in connection with the detention of Belarusian lawyers Ilya Salei and Maksim Znak

MPs from Lithuania, Netherlands and Switzerland take over prisoners’ godparenthood for Viktar Babaryka, Aliaksandr Aranovich and Aliaksandr Frantskevich

11.09.2020 MPs from Lithuania, Netherlands and Switzerland take over prisoners’ godparenthood for Viktar Babaryka, Aliaksandr Aranovich and Aliaksandr Frantskevich

As part of the solidarity campaign #WeStandBYyou of Libereco – Partnership for Human Rights, three more MPs have taken over a godparenthood for political prisoners in Belarus. Petras Austriavičius (European Parliament, Lithuania) Tineke Strik (European Parliament, Netherlands) and Fabian Molina (National Council, Switzerland) call for their immediate and unconditional release.