06.10.2016 FIDH expert: “There were just us and the dogs in the courtroom!”
On October 5, the Minsk Press Club hosted the presentation of a joint report on the death penalty in Belarus, which was prepared by the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the Human Rights Center "Viasna".
05.10.2016 Eduard Palchys is a political prisoner. Joint statement by human rights organizations
We believe that the publications authored by blogger Eduard Palchys, which were posted in the nine articles on the 1863x.com website, are a permissible form of expression and, accordingly, may not be prosecuted under the law.
05.10.2016 Death Penalty in Belarus: New report reveals grave rights violations
In Belarus, the rights of people sentenced to death are violated at all stages of the legal proceedings, making the application of death penalty in the country unlawful and arbitrary, said today FIDH and HRC "Viasna" in Minsk during the presentation of their report "Death Penalty in Belarus : Murder on (Un)Lawful Grounds".
04.10.2016 Viasna and FIDH to present report “Death Penalty in Belarus: Murder on (Un)Lawful Grounds”
On October 5, the Human Rights Center “Viasna” and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) will present a joint report “Death Penalty in Belarus: Murder on (Un)Lawful Grounds”. The event will be held within the framework of the Week against the Death Penalty.
29.09.2016 Andrei Paluda: “2 of 16 death convicts in Belarus are Roma”
Andrei Paluda, coordinator of the campaign Human Rights Defenders against the Death Penalty in Belarus, took part in the working session “Tolerance and non-discrimination, including Roma and Sinti issues, including implementation of the OSCE Action Plan on Improving the Situation of Roma and Sinti” held yesterday in Warsaw as part of the OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting.
27.09.2016 Kyrgyzstan: Prominent women human rights defenders at risk following their participation in OSCE meeting
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (FIDH-OMCT partnership) strongly condemns the verbal attacks and acts of harassment by the Kyrgyz authorities against Tolekan Ismailova and Aziza Abdirasulova in reprisal to their participation in the 2016 OSCE HDIM, and calls upon diplomatic missions and the OSCE to provide them with all necessary protection.
26.09.2016 Viasna leader: Authorities oppose human rights defenders fighting for truth and justice
Courts and prosecutors are often used by the authorities to fight their political opponents and human rights defenders, Ales Bialiatski, chairman of the Human Rights Center “Viasna”, said at a side-event entitled “The post-Soviet Judiciary: a tool for administration of justice or a tool of oppression? Lack of independence of the judiciary and prosecution of HRDs in the Eastern part of the OSCE area” held on September 23 in the framework of the OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting in Warsaw.
23.09.2016 Ales Bialiatski: Civilian control prevents government from downplaying problems
On September 22, Belarusian human rights defenders arranged a side event at the OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting in Warsaw to report on the results of parliamentary elections held in the country on September 11.
21.09.2016 EU insists on reinstatement of former political prisoners’ civil and political rights
“In 2015 the overall human rights situation in Belarus remained marked by systematic human rights violations,” says the Annual report on human rights and democracy in the world approved by the EU Council on September 20.
20.09.2016 Viasna to Take Part in OSCE HDIM Conference
Representatives of the Human Rights Center Viasna Ales Bialiatski, Uladzimir Labkovich and Andrei Paluda are going to take part in the Human Dimension Implementation Meeting of the OSCE.
15.09.2016 Miklós Haraszti: Belarus elections 'lipstick measures on face of violations'
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus, Miklós Haraszti, says despite the admission of a token oppositionist there was no real difference between last Sunday’s parliamentary elections and all the previous ones carried out in Belarus.
13.09.2016 Human rights defenders: CEC’s promises and attempts to show improvements fail to bring progress
The campaign Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections summed up yesterday the results of monitoring the elections of deputies of the House of Representatives of the 6th convocation. At a press conference in Minsk, the campaign coordinators Aleh Hulak (Belarusian Helsinki Committee) and Uladzimir Labkovich (Human Rights Center "Viasna") presented their assessment of the parliamentary election campaign.
12.09.2016 Parliamentary Elections. September 11, 2016. Analytical Report (full text)
The elections did not meet a number of key international standards for democratic and free elections, as well as the country’s electoral legislation. First of all, the findings are due to the lack of equal access to state media for all candidates, lack of impartiality of election commissions, facts of abuse of administrative resources in favor of the pro-government candidates, numerous facts of forcing voters to participate in early voting, non-transparency of some election procedures for observers.
12.09.2016 Invitation to press conference on results of election observation
Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections announce a press conference on September 12 on the results of monitoring the elections to the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the sixth convocation.
11.09.2016 Parliamentary Elections: Report on Election Campaigning
The candidates were not provided with equal rights; pro-government candidates enjoyed better conditions for campaigning: they made extensive use of the administrative resources, including electronic and print media.
