17.05.2013 Observatory requests to implement decision of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on the case of Ales Bialiatski
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders addresses the Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs with a request to implement Decision of the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on the case of human rights defender Ales Bialiatski.
13.05.2013 Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in April 2013
In April, the human rights situation in Belarus remained consistently poor with a clear tendency to deteriorate. 11 political prisoners (Ihar Alinevich, Mikalai Autukhovich, Ales Bialiatski, Dzmitry Dashkevich, Mikalai Dziadok, Aliaksandr Frantskevich, Eduard Lobau, Artsiom Prakapenka, Pavel Seviaryents, Mikalai Statkevich and Yauhen Vaskovich) were still kept in jail; 2 persons continued to serve their terms of personal restraint (Sviataslau Baranovich and Dzmitry Miadzvedz); 8 more still had suspended or conditional prison terms (Andrei Dzmitryieu, Aliaksandr Fiaduta, Iryna Khalip, Siarhei Martsaleu, Uladzimir Niakliayeu, Andrei Pachobut, Vital Rymasheuski, Siarhei Vazniak) yatoslav Baranovitch).
02.05.2013 "Viasna" urges the authorities to stop the practice of pressurizing civic activists and take measures for the abolishment of Article 193.1 of the Criminal Code
The Human Rights Center "Viasna" urges the Belarusian authorities to stop the practice of intimidation and pressurization of civic activists and immediately decriminalize the activity of unregistered organizations.
30.04.2013 FIDH and Viasna demand that charges dropped against those convicted after Chernobyl Way March
FIDH and the Human Rights Center “Viasna” demand that charges against six people, including two journalists, one human rights defender and one activist, be dropped in relation to their engagement in this years annual commemoration of the Chernobyl nuclear accident.
30.04.2013 Viasna joins campaign of solidarity with Russia’s civil society
If challenging times are coming to Russia now, it is the time to pay attention to it, to support civil society groups and activists of Russia, to come together and to prove that the international civil society is alive and common values are more important for it than the borders between our countries.
26.04.2013 Viasna’s website resumes work after hacker attack
Several publications posted on the website of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” were distorted, after hackers gained unauthorized access to the website last evening. The hacker attack affected all the three language versions.
25.04.2013 Andrei Kureichyk: “I do not believe that the death penalty will save us from crime” (Video)
Famous Belarusian and Russian screenwriter and actor Andrei Kureichyk signed a petition against the death penalty in Belarus.
24.04.2013 FIDH launches new website to support Belarusian civil society
Time moves on, but the situation of human rights and civil society in Belarus remains dramatic. Ales Bialiatski, Vice-president of FIDH and President of the Human Rights Center “Viasna”, is still in jail along with numerous other political prisoners; all continue to be subjected to further harassment even behind bars. To shed light on this intolerable situation, FIDH has launched a new version of the http://freeales.fidh.net website. This site will inform and mobilise the international community loudly speaking out for the Belarusian civil society, which continues its courageous work despite the on-going pressure.
18.04.2013 Amnesty International: Silencing civil society in Belarus
The report, What is not permitted is prohibited: Silencing civil society in Belarus, shows how the authorities in Belarus regularly deny the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, association and expression, preventing people from speaking out in public, holding demonstrations or setting up civil organizations. Peaceful demonstrators frequently face fines or even prison sentences.
16.04.2013 Valiantsin Stefanovich: “Brussels has no illusions in its assessment of the regime”
Such a conclusion was made by the deputy chairman of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” as a result of his recent visit to the capital of the European Union to participate in a conference on the dialogue on the modernization of Belarus and have a number of meetings.
02.04.2013 Human Rights Center “Viasna” starts working in new office
On 1 April, the opening day of the new office of the HRC “Viasna”, the human rights defenders presented new analytical editions, shared their plans for the future and defined the priorities for their current activities.
22.03.2013 Adoption of an unprecedented resolution at the UN to end the financial strangulation of human rights NGOs
Today, the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council gave a strong response to the increasing trend of curtailing - when not criminalizing - the activities of human rights defenders by limiting their right to access funding, especially when they come from foreign countries. The Council adopted by consensus an unprecedented resolution, introduced by Norway and co-sponsored by 62 States, affirming that “no law should criminalise or de-legitimise activities in defence of human rights on account of the origin of funding”.
14.03.2013 Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in February 2013
Though the situation of human rights remained stably bad in February, an important event concerning the situation of political prisoners took place – On 9 February Vasil Parfiankou, a figurant of the "case of 19 December 2010", pardoned in 2011 and convicted in 2012 for violation of the conditions of preventive supervision, was released from the arrest house due to the end of the six-month arrest term. However, this fact brought no changes for the overall situation of political prisoners, as it could by no means be considered as a manifestation of change in the attitude of the Belarusian authorities to political prisoners. 11 prisoners of conscience are still kept in Belarusian prisons.
05.03.2013 Belarusian human rights defenders: "Freedom to Bahrain!
On 4 March Belarusian human rights defenders expressed their solidarity with President of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights and Deputy Secretary General of FIDH Nabeel Rajab who is serving a two-year prison term for actions in support of the right to peaceful assemblies.
05.03.2013 Critical Situation for Political Prisoners in Belarus and Freedom for 40 Activists Considerably Restricted
The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and its Belarusian member organization, Human Rights Center Viasna, are outraged at the large-scale and systematic acts of repression being inflicted upon both political prisoners and individuals whose freedom has been restricted for political reasons. It hereby releases a document detailing this repression and calls upon the regime to cease its oppressive behavior.
