The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for March 2016

18.03.2016 Freelance journalist Zhukouski sentenced to another fine

Freelance journalist Kanstantsin Zhukouski has been fined 7,350,000 rubles by the Mazyr District Court. The journalist was found guilty of illegal manufacturing media products (Article 22.9 of the Administrative Code).

18.03.2016 Celebration Of Freedom Day Banned In Vitsebsk

Vitsebsk residents cannot get permission from the officials for seven years.

18.03.2016 Niakliayeu’s Association Denied Registration

As said by the politician, he had been denied registration on formal grounds.

18.03.2016 Viasna demands immediate release of all political prisoners in Azerbaijan

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has pardoned 148 people serving jail terms. Several human rights defenders and opposition activists and politicians were among those pardoned in the amnesty decree signed by Aliyev on March 17, according to rferl.org.

18.03.2016 Valiantsin Stefanovich: Belarusian society still far from understanding tolerance

The Human Rights Center "Viasna" has joined the European Action Week Against Racism, a series of events taking place from 12 to 21 March to highlight the problems faced by vulnerable social groups.

17.03.2016 Ongoing harassment of human rights defenders in Chechnya

Igor Kalyapin, a leading Russian rights activist was attacked last evening by masked men in Grozny, pelted with eggs, paint, and a cake after he was evicted from the hotel he was staying in.

17.03.2016 Anti-Crisis Meeting Banned In Salihorsk

Local authorities did not allow activist Uladzimir Shyla to hold a rally without explanation of the reasons.

17.03.2016 Soviet-Era Belarusian Dissident Dies In Minsk

Soviet-era Belarusian dissident Syarhey Khanzhankou has passed away at the age of 74. Khanzhankou's wife, Alena Skamyanava, told RFE/RL that her husband died due to a long-term illness on March 16 in Minsk.

16.03.2016 Matskevich Is Tried for "Taking Part in the Rally" Whilst Being in Warsaw

Activist presented stamps in his passport and asked to enter air tickets to prove his absence in the country during the action he had been tried for.

Working group on OSCE ODIHR recommendations takes into account proposals by Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections, CEC head Yarmoshyna says

16.03.2016 Working group on OSCE ODIHR recommendations takes into account proposals by Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections, CEC head Yarmoshyna says

An interdepartmental working group on the OSCE ODIHR recommendations made following the October 2015 presidential election has developed a series of proposal on measures to improve the electoral process. This was reported by the head of the Central Election Commission, Lidziya Yarmoshyna.

15.03.2016 Russian Federation: Members of the Joint Mobile Group and journalists attacked in Ingushetia

(Geneva-Paris) Following the violent assault on members of the Joint Mobile Group (JMG) and journalists in the Russian Republic of Ingushetia, near the Chechnya border, on March 9, 2016, the Observatory urges the Russian authorities to shed full light on those attacks and bring those responsible to justice.

15.03.2016 Here’s To You: Ales Bialiatski joins global campaign to sign for rights (video)

Viasna’s leader Ales Bialiatski has joined Amnesty Italia’s campaign “Here’s To You”, a global call launched by Roberto Saviano, an Italian writer and journalist, to highlight daily human rights violations across the world.

14.03.2016 Criminal Case Against Mikhalevich Suspended

However, the case can be reopened any time.

14.03.2016 Well, we'll wait

Valiantsin Stefanovich reflects on the situation around the conference on the death penalty, which was held in Minsk last week, in the context of problems with the registration of the HRC "Viasna" and the government's general policy towards the non-governmental organizations in Belarus.

12.03.2016 EU envoy Stavros Lambrinidis: Civilized countries should be above revenge and abolish the death penalty

Stavros Lambrinidis, EU Special Representative for Human Rights, hopes that Belarus will soon be among the countries that have introduced a moratorium or even abandoned the use of the capital punishment.