06.12.2016 Miklós Haraszti: “The bloody reality of Belarus’ judicial system stains Europe”
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus, Miklós Haraszti, has said that the recent executions carried out by Belarus, and confirmed last week, show once again the persistent disregard for human rights in the country.
06.12.2016 Belarus executions “flagrant disregard” for international human rights law – UN experts
UN human rights experts are outraged by Belarus’ continued use of the death penalty following reports that two men whose cases were before the UN Human Rights Committee were executed, despite a specific request from the Committee not to carry out the planned executions.
05.12.2016 Human Rights Situation in Belarus: November 2016
Enforcement of the three recent death sentences is a major negative trend of the month, as it demonstrates the apparent reluctance of the official Minsk to abolish the death penalty in the near future.
02.12.2016 Belarusian human rights community insists on abolition of the death penalty
Belarusian human rights community condemns recent executions and reiterates calls to abolish the death penalty.
02.12.2016 Belarus: third consecutive execution concealed for nearly a month from the public and relatives
Execution of Henadz Yakavitski on 5 November 2016 is the fourth execution in 2016, making it the highest number of executions per year since 2008.
01.12.2016 Bloodbath on death row in Minsk: Third execution reported
The human rights defenders’ fears of a third execution have been confirmed, after it was announced that Henadz Yakavitski was shot on November 5 in jail No. 1 in Minsk together with Ivan Kulesh and Siarhei Khmialeuski. In 2016, Belarus has executed a total of four death row inmates.
30.11.2016 FIDH: Andrei Bandarenka faces extention of his prison term under new criminal charges
FIDH denounces opening of a new case against imprisoned human rights defender Andrei Bandarenka, previously expert on monitored detention facilities. Even if his sentence in 2014 was not related to his human rights activities, FIDH considers the repeated criminal prosecution as a form of politically motivated pressure for his previous human rights activities and calls for dropping of charges.
30.11.2016 FIDH deplores execution in secrecy of two death convicts in Belarus
FIDH deplores the executions because it stands for global abolition of death penalty.
29.11.2016 Stop persecution of Andrei Bandarenka. Joint statement by Belarusian human rights organizations
Joint statement by representatives of the Belarusian human rights community on new criminal charges against Andrei Bandarenka
29.11.2016 Belarus executes another death convict
According to the family of Siarhei Khmialeuski, the death convict has been executed.
28.11.2016 Death convict Ivan Kulesh executed
Death convict Ivan Kulesh has been executed, according to Andrei Paluda, coordinator of the campaign Human Rights Defenders against the Death Penalty in Belarus.
28.11.2016 Government’s attitude to Ombudsman as indicator of respect for human rights
Human rights activists and lawyers from Belarus met last week with representatives of the Office of the Polish Commissioner for Civil Rights. The meeting was held at the initiative of the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights and dealt with the role and mandate of the Polish Ombudsman and the government’s attitude to the activities of his office in the light of the recent political changes in the country. It also touched upon the place of human rights in the official cooperation between Warsaw and Minsk.
25.11.2016 Imprisoned human rights activist Andrei Bandarenka faces fresh criminal charges
On November 14, the Mahilioŭ interdistrict department of the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 411 of the Criminal Code (“willful disobedience to the correctional institution administration”) against human rights activist Andrei Bandarenka, who is currently serving a 3-year sentence in prison No. 4.
25.11.2016 Belarus’ efforts to uphold democratic values are “insufficient”, MEPs say
MEPs say that Belarus’ progress in upholding democratic values is “insufficient” in a resolution voted on Thursday. They note that Belarus is taking new political prisoners, harassing the opposition, using capital punishment, and failing to address safety concerns about its first nuclear power plant, being built in Ostrovets.
21.11.2016 Human rights defenders call to step up implementation of election recommendations
The campaign “Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections” is calling on both national and international experts to be engaged in a wide public debate on the implementation of recommendations made by observers in order to improve the electoral legislation of Belarus.
