09.04.2014 Mikhail Hladki: 8 years in jail for nothing, no compensation provided
In 2003, Mikhail Hladki was sentenced to 8 year of imprisonment for allegedly killing his brother. He served almost the whole prison term before it was found that the real killer was Eduard Lykau, who is now kept in the Minsk remand prison after being sentenced to death.
08.04.2014 Another death sentence issued in Belarus
26-year-old Homel resident Aliaksandr Hrunou has been repeatedly sentenced to death. According to the lawyer, the young man does not believe that he can be pardoned by the President, and therefore he is not sure whether he will apply for clemency.
04.04.2014 International human rights defenders: Journalists must testify about what is happening in Belarus
Robert Hårdh, Executive Director of Civil Rights Defenders, Maina Kiai, UN Special Rapporteur on the right of freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, and Margaret Sekaggya, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights Defenders, have addressed journalists during the Defenders' Days conference, which is currently underway in Sweden: "Every journalist who find themselves in an authoritarian country such as Belarus must have an obligation to stand up for free speech and report on human rights violations in such a country."
02.04.2014 Civil Rights Defenders declare Ales Bialiatski Defender of the Year 2014
Ales Bialiatski , founder of the Belarusian human rights organisation Viasna, is the recipient of the 2014 Civil Rights Defender of the Year Award. For over 30 years, he has pursued a life of continuous struggle to campaign for democracy and human rights, first in the Soviet Union and then in Belarus.
31.03.2014 Court of cassation confirms ban on Ales Bialiatski’s book
On March 31, the Hrodna Regional Court upheld the decision to ban Ales Bialiatski’s book “Asvechanyia Belarushchynai” (“Enlightened by Belarusian Issue”), having considered a cassation appeal by human rights defender Tatsiana Reviaka.
24.03.2014 Monitoring Report on Local Elections of the 27th Convocation
The observation was carried out by activists of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee and the Human Rights Center "Viasna" within the frames of the campaign "Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections".
23.03.2014 Viasna presents annual review of human rights violations
The book "Situation of Human Rights in Belarus in 2013" features an analysis of the major events that influenced the human rights situation in the country during the past year, as well as the most obvious and typical violations.
22.03.2014 Monitoring Report on the stage of election campaigning
Monitoring of the elections to the Local Councils of Deputies of the Republic of Belarus of the 27th Convocation is conducted by activists of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee and the Human Rights Center "Viasna" within the frames of the campaign "Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections".
14.03.2014 Only five candidates established campaign funds in Babruisk
Only five out of 88 candidates for the district council and the 26 candidates for the regional council used the opportunity to create their own campaign funds.
13.03.2014 Human rights defenders launch an interactive web resource for election observers
The campaign can be joined by any Belarusian citizen – he/she only has to file an online application form and send the results of observation at a concrete polling station.
10.03.2014 Human rights situation in Belarus discussed at UN Human Rights Council in Geneva
The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) organized a number of meetings and events on the situation with human rights in Belarus as part of a session of the UN Human Rights Council that took place in Geneva on March 6 – 7, 2014.
04.03.2014 Address of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” to the authorities of the Russian Federation
In connection with the invasion of the troops of the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine and the decision of the Council of the Federation to permit the use of Russian troops on the territory of Ukraine "to normalize the situation", we, the representatives of the Human Rights Center "Viasna", express our indignation at the actions of the authorities of the Russian Federation.
24.02.2014 Report on the results of registration of campaign teams and candidates for deputies
Monitoring of the elections to the Local Councils of Deputies of the Republic of Belarus of the 27th Convocation is conducted by activists of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee and the Human Rights Center "Viasna" within the frames of the campaign "Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections".
24.02.2014 Observatory condemns continued harassment of Viasna
The Observatory has been informed of the continued harassment of the Human Rights Centre “Viasna” and the rejection by the Court of a complaint challenging the blackmailing of its website www.spring96.org.
11.02.2014 Court declares expert examination of “Enlightened by Belarusian Issue”, but bans the book due to “inner convictions”
On February 11, the Ashmiany District Court announced its verdict on the civil lawsuit of the member of the HRC “Viasna” Tatsiana Reviaka against Ashmiany customs.
