12.03.2017 Protesters, journalists detained across Belarus
Numerous opposition activists and journalists working for independent media have been detained today before and after protests held across the country, including in Orša, Babrujsk, Kobryn and Brest.
11.03.2017 Stop persecution of citizens for exercising their right to peaceful protest and expression
The Human Rights Center "Viasna" notes the deterioration of the overall human rights situation in the country.
09.03.2017 Belarus still "an authoritarian state", U.S. Human Rights Report says
"Since his election as president in 1994, Aliaksandr Lukashenka has consolidated his rule over all institutions and undermined the rule of law through authoritarian means, including manipulated elections and arbitrary decrees," says the U.S. Department of State's Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Belarus for 2016.
07.03.2017 Officials relaunch repression tools amid massive protests
The Belarusian authorities have been struggling to reduce the level of social discontent ignited by the enforcement of the infamous Decree No. 3, which introduced a special tax on unemployment. The government is using a variety of repressive methods, including intimidation, fines and imprisonment, punitive psychiatry and police raids.
06.03.2017 Report on monitoring of the March of Outraged Belarusians in Minsk. 17 February 2017
Throughout several years the Belarusian Helsinki Committee and the Human Rights Center ‘Viasna’ have been regularly monitoring mass events in Minsk on the basis of a thoroughly elaborated methodology.
05.03.2017 Hundreds gather in Brest to protest unemployment tax
Several hundred people demonstrated today in central Brest as part of a nation-wide protest against the controversial unemployment tax imposed by President Lukashenka’s Decree No. 3 “On Preventing Social Dependency”. According to Radio Free Europe’s Belarus service, the protest gathered around a thousand people.
02.03.2017 Human Rights Situation in Belarus: February 2017
In the second half of February, a wave of peaceful assemblies against the Decree was held across Belarus. On February 17, a protest called “The March of Angry Belarusians” took place in Minsk; on February 19, a rally “Non-Parasites’ March” was held in Homieĺ; on the same day a march and a rally were held in Mahilioŭ; protests against Decree No. 3 were held on Sunday, February 26, in Babrujsk, Baranavičy, Brest and Viciebsk.
22.02.2017 Amnesty International Annual Report: Severe restrictions remain in place in Belarus
"Severe restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression, of association and of peaceful assembly remained in place. The government continued to refuse co-operation with the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Belarus. At least four people were executed and four people were sentenced to death," Amnesty International said in its Annual Report.
17.02.2017 Meanwhile in Belarus… To put an end to death penalty in Europe
In 2017, Belarus is still the only country in Europe to apply death penalty. Aiming to denounce and bring this grim reality to public attention, FIDH publishes in social networks a video "Meanwhile in Belarus".
15.02.2017 Civil Rights Defenders: EU Sanctions Lifted at the Expense of Civil and Political Rights in Belarus
One year ago, the EU lifted sanctions against Belarus. The sanctions were imposed in response to human rights violations perpetrated by the Belarusian regime, but were lifted without any improvements to the human rights situation. On the one year anniversary, Civil Rights Defenders releases a report entitled: Dictatorship No More? EU Sanctions Lifted at the Expense of Civil and Political Rights in Belarus.
15.02.2017 Amnesty International: Aleksandr Lapshin's extradition to Azerbaijan is breach of Belarus's international obligations
Following his extradition to Azerbaijan, blogger Aleksandr Lapshin is "at risk of torture and other ill-treatment as well as an unfair trial," Amnesty International said in a statement.
09.02.2017 Report on the death penalty in Belarus presented at Council of Europe
A delegation of human rights defenders representing the Human Rights Center "Viasna" and FIDH visited yesterday the Council of Europe to discuss the question of the death penalty and the overall situation of human rights in Belarus.
07.02.2017 Human Rights Situation in Belarus: January 2017
During the month, there were cases of confiscation and seizure of personal property of citizens in connection with their failure to pay administrative fines imposed for participation in peaceful assemblies. Human rights defenders regard these cases as a form of repression in connection with the exercise of the freedom of peaceful assembly and expression.
03.02.2017 Issue of the death penalty in Belarus to be discussed in Brussels and Strasbourg
Representatives of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" and FIDH are going to discuss the issue of the death penalty in Belarus during a visit to the EU structures and the Council of Europe scheduled for the next week.
02.02.2017 Miklós Haraszti: Lifting of mandate should not be used to reward spectacular steps by Belarusian authorities
Miklós Haraszti, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus, has met in Vilnius with Belarusian and international human rights activists to discuss priorities for further cooperation. According to Haraszti, he is rather optimistic about the issue of renewing his mandate expected to be discussed this year.
