The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for February 2021

04.02.2021 MPs from Switzerland, Germany and Ireland take over godparenthood for Yuliya Slutskaya, Katsiaryna Andreyeva and Vitold Ashurak

As part of the solidarity campaign #WeStandBYyou of Libereco, Martina Munz, (National Council, SP, Switzerland), Delara Burkhardt (European Parliament, SPD, Germany) and Seán Haughey (Irish Lower House, Fianna Fáil, Ireland) have taken over a godparenthood for political prisoners in Belarus.

04.02.2021 Office for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities under attack

Aleh Hrableuski and Siarhei Drazdouski from the Office for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities are facing fraud charges, after they were questioned by officers of the Investigative Committee. The NGO’s company lawyer Hrableuski was detained for 72 hours to await official charges, while Drazdouski, the Office’s leader and a wheelchair user himself, was placed under house arrest.

03.02.2021 Belarus has 4 new political prisoners

Joint statement by human rights organizations of Belarus

02.02.2021 Human Rights Situation in Belarus: January 2021

Experts of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" note the continuing intensification of repression and further deterioration of the human rights crisis in the country.

02.02.2021 Political prisoner Dzmitry Dubkou sentenced to 7 years in prison

Judge Alena Zhukovich of the Saviecki District Court of Minsk sentenced today political prisoner Dzmitry Dubkou to seven years in a medium-security penal colony. He was found guilty under Part 3 of Art. 214 and Part 2 of Art. 293 of the Criminal Code.

02.02.2021 STOP PRESSURE ON CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS IN CONNECTION TO THEIR RIGHT TO ACCESS TO FUNDING

Address by Belarusian civil society organisations

02.02.2021 More Swiss and Irish MPs join godparenthood campaign for Belarus prisoners

As part of the solidarity campaign #WeStandBYyou of Libereco, Jim O’Callaghan, (Irish Lower House, Fianna Fáil, Ireland), Barry Andrews (European Parliament, Fianna Fáil, Ireland) and Franziska Ryser (National Council, The Greens, Switzerland) have taken over a godparenthood for political prisoners Artsiom Sarokin, Siarhei Kryuchenia and Artsiom Mitsuk.

02.02.2021 First verdict in “Tsikhanouski case”: critical blogger Uladzimir Niaronski sentenced to 3 years in prison

The Lahojsk District Court has sentenced political prisoner Uladzimir Niaronski to a three-year imprisonment in a general-security penal colony, finding him guilty of calling to breach public order (Part 1 of Art 342 of the Criminal Code) and publicly insulting a government official (Art. 369).

01.02.2021 Workers sentenced to prison terms over political strike

Three employees of the government-owned BMZ steel works were found guilty of “breaching public order” (Part 1 of Art. 342 of the Criminal Code) during a strike demanding political change organized at the enterprise on August 17. Ihar Povarau, who was earlier called a political prisoner, has been sentenced to three years in prison, while Aliaksandr Babrou and Yauhen Hovar – to two and half years each.

01.02.2021 Former political prisoner Aleh Mazhou sentenced to three years of restricted freedom

The Lieninski District Court of Minsk sentenced today 26-year-old athlete Aleh Mazhou to three years of restricted freedom in an open penitentiary (so-called “khimiya”), finding him guilty of “group actions gravely breaching public order” (Part 1 of Art. 342 of the Criminal Code). The criminal case was condemned by Belarusian human rights defenders as politically motivated.