15.08.2014 Situation of Human Rights in Belarus in July 2014
July was marked by a stably severe human rights situation, ongoing systemic and systematic abuses. Extremely limited were the opportunities of exercising one’s civil and political rights, among which most problems were dealing with freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, arbitrary arrest and detention, the judicial system remained dependent on the executive branch.
15.07.2014 Human rights in Belarus in June 2014
In June, the systemic and systematic nature of human rights violations was preserved. Opportunities of exercising civil and political, social and economic rights guaranteed by the Constitution and international standards were still extremely limited in their essence. Dissidents were subjected to pressure, intimidation and harassment.
16.06.2014 Situation of Human Rights in Belarus in May 2014
In May, the consistently poor situation of human rights was exacerbated by the mass arbitrary detentions and arrests of activists of various civil society and political groups and movements, which were carried out before and during the World Ice Hockey Championship (held in Minsk from 9 to 25 May).
13.05.2014 Situation of Human Rights in Belarus in April 2014
In April, the human rights situation remained consistently poor. The most acute problem – the existence of political prisoners – remained unresolved. April was marked by serious restrictions on freedom of peaceful assembly, resulting in preventive arrests and arbitrary detentions.
12.04.2014 Situation of Human Rights in Belarus in March 2014
The human rights situation in Belarus was strongly influenced by the events that shaped the social and political agenda of the month, including the election of deputies of local councils (March 23), reactions of citizens to the situation in the neighboring Ukraine, and celebrations marking the 96th anniversary of the Belarusian People’s Republic, Freedom Day (March 25). Opportunities to enjoy civil and political rights, especially freedom of expression, were excessively limited.
10.03.2014 Situation of Human Rights in Belarus in February 2014
Despite heated debates around the issue of political prisoners, their fate in February remained unchanged. There were no positive dynamics in other sensitive areas of human rights in Belarus. The situation remained stably frozen and poor.
10.02.2014 Situation of Human Rights in Belarus in January 2014
In January, human rights situation remained consistently bad with a tendency toward conservation of negative practices that evolved over the previous years. There were no positive changes, either in law or in law enforcement.
15.01.2014 Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in December 2013
The last month of 2013 did not bring changes in the overall human rights situation – it remained consistently bad. The negative trends that have been formed and retained throughout the year, persisted, including lack of political will of the Belarusian authorities in solving the problem of political prisoners, severe restrictions on freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and other civil and political rights, ignoring calls for the abolition or a moratorium on the death penalty. The authorities recognized having secretly issued another death sentence in November.
14.12.2013 Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in November 2013
In November, the Belarusian authorities demonstrated the reluctance to soften their position in the field of human rights in the country, first of all – to change the attitude to the problem of political prisoners, including on the basis of the foreign policy factor. The expectations of some experts that on the eve of the summit of the Eastern Partnership the Belarusian authorities will make concessions to the requirements of the European Union, which had consistently reminded about the necessity release of political prisoners as a basic precondition for cooperation with Belarus, didn't come true.
14.11.2013 Review-chronicle of human rights violations in Belarus in October 2013
October was characterized by consolidation and preservation of negative trends in the field of human rights, which have evolved over the last few months. A positive event, the release of political prisoner Pavel Seviarynets from an open penitentiary, did not change the overall situation and cannot be regarded as a sign of positive momentum, since his release wasn't a consequence of any steps taken by the authorities or a change in the attitude to the problem of political prisoners, but took place after the expiration of the sentence.
14.11.2013 Viasna supports guidelines aimed to define “political prisoner”
A guideline aimed to define the notion of “political prisoner” was presented at the Third Human Rights Forum held in Vilnius in late October.
15.10.2013 Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in September 2013
In September, there was no positive dynamics in the field of human rights, the situation remained stably poor, being accompanied with a further conservation of the negative trends that have evolved over the past months.
13.09.2013 Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Vilations in Belarus in August 2013
In August the situation in the sphere of human rights remained difficult. The release of political prisoner Dzmitry Dashkevich, though marked as a positive event, did not change the general trend and is not considered as a sign of improvement by Belarusian human rights activists. Dz. Dashkevich not only served his initial sentence in prison, but was also sentenced to another year in prison for "willful disobedience to the administration" (Article 411 of the Criminal Code).
21.08.2013 Pavel Sapelka on preventive supervision: "It is not the crime that is punished, but the reluctance to demonstrate loyalty to police requirements"
For jurisprudence, of prime significance is the challenge of providing post-penitentiary adaptation of convicts and preventing repeated crimes. In the absence of a consistent government policy for the re-socialization and social integration of those who are released after serving their sentence in prison, they face social and psychological degradation, resulting in possible increase in repeated crimes.
16.08.2013 Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in July 2013
In July, the tendency to deterioration of the human rights situation in Belarus persisted. 12 political prisoners were still kept behind bars: Ihar Alinevich, Mikalai Autukhovich, Ales Bialiatski, Dzmitry Dashkevich, Mikalai Dziadok, Aliaksandr Frantskevich, Andrei Haidukou, Eduard Lobau, Artsiom Prakapenka, Pavel Seviarynets, Mikalai Statkevich and Yauhen Vaskovich. Dzmitry Miadzvedz and Sviataslau Baranovich continued serving their terms of personal restraint without sending to open penitentiaries, and Andrei Pachobut – his suspended sentence. In June a criminal case was brought against the former political prisoner Vasil Parfiankou for breach of the rules of preventive supervision, and in July a similar criminal case was brought against Uladzimir Yaromenak. Preventive supervision as a means of control and pressure continued to be used against the former political prisoner Pavel Vinahradau. Prophylactic supervision was used towards 25 pardoned and released ahead of schedule. The investigation into the criminal case under Article 193.1, “activities on behalf of an unregistered organization”, against Aliaksei Shchadrou continued.
