25.11.2013 Ales Bialiatski: Two years since politically motivated verdict
Two years ago, on November 24, 2011, the Court of Minsk’s Pershamaiski district convicted Ales Bialiatski, the leader of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" and vice-president of the International Federation for Human Rights. According to the verdict, Ales Bialiatski was found guilty of committing a crime under Part 2 of Art. 243 of the Criminal Code (tax evasion on a large scale) and was sentenced to imprisonment in a high security penal colony for a period of 4.5 years and a confiscation of property.
19.11.2013 Human rights defender Andrei Bandarenka released
Andrei Bandarenka, leader of the of the human rights institution “Platform Innovation”, was released today after serving five days of arrest.
16.11.2013 Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders demands to release Andrei Bandarenka
The Observatory was informed of the arrest and sentencing of Mr. Andrei Bandarenka to five days of imprisonment. Mr. Bandarenka is the Director of the human rights organisation “Platforma”, which monitors conditions of detention in Belarus.
15.11.2013 Statement by the Human Rights Center "Viasna" regarding the arrest of human rights defender Andrei Bandarenka
On November 14, the Court of Minsk’s Maskouski district considered the administrative case opened against the director of the private cultural and educational institution “Platform Innovation” Andrei Bandarenka, as a result of which the human rights activist was found guilty of violating Article 23.34 of the Administrative Code (violation of the order of organizing and holding mass events) and sentenced to five days in prison.
13.11.2013 Examination of the prohibited book by Ales Bialiatski abolished by the State Customs Committee until... a new examination
The member of the Board of the HRC "Viasna" Tatsiana Reviaka received a response to her complaint from the State Customs Committee. She appealed against the violations of the customs officials of the Ashmiany Customs Office during the appointment of an expert examination of the book by Ales Bialiatski “Enlightened by the Belarusian issue” and the violations on the part of the “expert commission” which concluded that the book "could damage the image of the Republic of Belarus".
04.11.2013 HRC “Viasna” starts a new stage of the monitoring of the penitentiary system
The Human Rights Center "Viasna" announces the beginning of a new stage of the monitoring of penitentiary institutions in the Republic of Belarus.
31.10.2013 Human rights violations in Belarus discussed at UN side-event
On October 30, 2013 New York City hosted a side event at the UN General Assembly with the participation of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus, Mr. Miklos Haraszti, and the Belarusian and international human rights defenders: Valiantsin Stefanovich, deputy chairman of the Human Rights Center "Viasna", Zhanna Litvina, leader of Belarusian Association of Journalists, Sasha Koulaeva, head of FIDH’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia Desk.
30.10.2013 Miklos Haraszti’s report on Belarus presented and discussed at the UN General Assembly in New York
On October 28, the UN General Assembly in New York hosted a presentation and interactive dialogue of national delegations on the report of the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus, Miklos Haraszti.
28.10.2013 Results of the Third Belarusian Human Rights Forum. Valiantsin Stefanovich’s speech at the event.
In his speech at the Forum on October 26, deputy head of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" spoke about the human rights developments in Belarus since the previous Forum in 2010.
24.10.2013 Mylène Farmer signs petition against the death penalty in Belarus
On October 24, three days before her arrival in Minsk, where Mylène Farmer is expected to present to the public her new show “Timeless”, she signed a petition of the campaign "Human Rights Defenders against the Death Penalty in Belarus."
23.10.2013 Death sentence for Aliaksandr Hrunou may be commuted to life imprisonment
Representatives of the campaign "Human Rights Defenders against the Death Penalty in Belarus," who have been monitoring the trial of Aliaksandr Hrunou, do not rule out the possibility of replacing the execution with life imprisonment.
22.10.2013 Supreme Court overturns death verdict
The Criminal Division of the Supreme Court considered today an appeal filed by Aliaksandr Hrunou earlier sentenced to death by a verdict of the Homel Regional Court. Today, the case was sent back for revision.
19.10.2013 Viasna welcomes the release of Pavel Seviarynets
This morning, on October 19, political prisoner Pavel Seviarynets, co-chair of the organizing committee of the party Belarusian Christian Democracy (BCD), was released from special settlement No. 7 in the village of Kuplin, Pruzhany district, Brest region, where he had been serving a three-year sentence for involvement in the events of December 19, 2010.
16.10.2013 Congratulations on the birth of twins for Uladzimir Labkovich!
Viasna activists sincerely congratulate our colleague, member of the Board of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" Uladzimir Labkovich on the birth of twins! On October 16, Uladzimir became the father of two wonderful boys.
10.10.2013 A modern and just society cannot be based on the ideology of death: Abolish the death penalty!
The 11th World Day Against the Death Penalty is marked today, on October 10, 2013. Throughout the world, civil society activists and abolitionism associations unite to remind the international community about the absurdity of the punishment and the cruelty of executions.
