01.03.2011 Will Ryhor Vasilevich accept Ales Bialiatski’s proposal?
Ales Bialiatski, Chair of the Human Rights Center Viasna, vice-president of the International Federation of Human Rights Ryhor Vasilevich to cancel the warning issued to him by the General Procuracy on 16 February. Human rights activist reminds to the Prosecutor General about the elimination of the official registration of Viasna, which, in his opinion, was connected with the active monitoring of the presidential elections in 2001. This step of the authorities had been declared unlawful by the UN: the Human Rights Committee of this influential organization stated that it was a violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights by the Belarusian authorities.
17.02.2011 We will not stop our activities: statement by Human Rights Center “Viasna” concerning a warning by General Prosecutor’s Office
On 16 February 2011, Ales Bialiatski, chair of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” and vice-president of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), received an official warning on the inadmissibility of lawbreaking signed by Deputy Prosecutor General Mr. Kuklis.
14.02.2011 Final HRD Monitoring Report on Presidential Election in Belarus
“Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections” campaign presents its final monitoring report on the 2010 presidential election in Belarus. The report gives the campaign's overall conclusions on the election, provides comprehensive analysis of the voting and counting stages and includes recommendations on how the election process could be brought in line with international standards.
04.02.2011 Criminal case on mass riot: 42 accused and 12 suspects (updated on 4 February)
Human rights defenders monitor the criminal cases that were instigated in connection with the action of protest connected with the presidential election. As of 4 February, the Human Rights Center Viasna knows the surnames of 42 accused in the criminal case on mass riot (33 of them are kept in custody, 2 persons are under house arrest and 7 more have been released on recognizance not to leave. 12 more are suspects in the case – 1 of them is in custody, 9 have undertaken not to leave the country and 2 are abroad.
28.01.2011 Artsiom Hrybko – 37th accused in mass riot criminal case
Artsiom Hrybko has been officially charged for participation in the 19 December protest rally. Thus the total number of accused in the mass riot criminal case has reached 37 persons.
20.01.2011 Evaluation of Events Related to the Presidential Election: Position of the Human Rights Center "Viasna"
The Human Rights Centre "Viasna", as one of the participants of the national monitoring mission “Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections”, cannot but mention some improvements at separate stages of the campaign, but in general, believes the 2010 presidential election fell short of a number of key international standards for democratic elections. The Election of the President of the Republic of Belarus has neither been recognized as free nor democratic by the OSCE / ODIHR international election observation mission. Since 1996, no Belarusian election campaigns, including presidential ones of 2001 and 2006, have been recognized by OSCE as compliant with international standards for free and democratic elections.
18.01.2011 Viasna’s office raided again
Yesterday, on 17 January Belarusian KGB searched the central office of the Human Rights Center Viasna, as well as the private apartment and the country house of Ales Bialiatski. The searches were said to be conducted in the framework of the 19 December mass riot criminal case. It was a second search in Viasna’s office, following another one on 20 December.
13.01.2011 Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in December 2010
December was an important month for summing up the results of the presidential electoral campaign that lasted for three months and ended on 19 December.
03.01.2011 STATEMENT of Human Rights Center Viasna concerning terror campaign towards opposition-minded people
The Human Rights Center Viasna expresses its strong protest against the beginning of the terror campaign in Belarus towards dissidents and political opponents of the government.
29.12.2010 Activist Franak Viachorka detained
Youth opposition leader Franak Viachorka was reportedly detained this afternoon in Minsk. Franak Viachorka, together with two other youth activists, were taken to pre-trial prison.
25.12.2010 Police and KGB raid apartments and offices. Tatsiana Reviaka’s flat NOT raided
Despite Christmas, Belarusian law-enforcement agencies keep raiding opposition offices and apartments of civil and political activists, adding to the increasing atmosphere of fear in the society. We would like to inform that earlier reports on searches in the private apartment of Viasna’s activist Tatsiana Reviaka proved to be false.
25.12.2010 Police and KGB raid appartments of HR activists
At 12.40 this afternoon, Belarusian law-enforcement agencies broke into the private appartment of Tatsiana Reviaka, activist of the Human Rights Center "Viasna". The appartment is currently being searched. Earlier this morning, the KGB searched the private appartments of human rights defenders Aliaksei Kaputski and Aleh Vouchak.
24.12.2010 We invite You to join the Action “A Christmas Card for the prisoners”
Famous Belarusan rock-musician Lavon Volski and human rights center “Viasna” address all famous people – leaders of public opinion both in Belarus and abroad. They ask musicians, writers, poets, artists, sportsmen to congratulate the imprisoned after peaceful protests in Minsk on December 19 and send the prisoners Christmas cards. “You are famous people, so let’s make a Christmas miracle – lighten the cells in prisons!”.
20.12.2010 Hundreds of detainees stand closed-door trials.
The Human Rights Center “Viasna” has been processing information on the numerous trials of peaceful protesters detained during a rally in downtown Minsk last evening.
20.12.2010 PRELIMINARY report of independent observation
Peaceful conduct of the election was marred on the evening of election day, 19 December, when riot police brutally dispersed a crowd protesting against unfair conduct of the election.
