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.
15.07.2013 Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in June 2013
June saw an apparent trend towards the worsening of the human rights situation in Belarus. Political prisoners were still kept in jail, and another name was added to their list after a 23-year-old resident of Navapolatsk, Andrei Haidukou, was sentenced to 18 months in prison. Thus: 12 political prisoners were kept in prison in June: 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.
13.06.2013 Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in May 2013
In May, there was no positive development in the human rights situation in Belarus, which remained consistently bad. The absence of real mechanisms of influence on this sphere inside the country and its strong dependence on foreign factors created a situation where the greatest expectations were associated with external influences, especially concerning the release of political prisoners. However, intensive contacts of the Belarusian authorities with the European Union, its institutions and individual countries as well as with the United States didn't bring perceptible results in this direction.
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).
15.04.2013 Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in March 2013
March was marked by the activation of the diplomatic relations between the EU countries and the Belarusian authorities, which was an important aspect for understanding the perspectives of the development of the situation of human rights, taking into consideration the strong dependence of this sphere on the external policy factor. Despite the voiced statements of the EU officials on the results of the contacts with the Belarusian side, there were no changes in the main principal issue – the release of political prisoners.
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 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.
14.02.2013 Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in January 2013
The first month of 2013 brought no changes in the human rights situation. Twelve political prisoners were still held in jail, the investigation of the cases concerning the disappearance of political opponents of Lukashenka in 1999 (Yu. Zakharanka, V. Hanchar and A. Krasouski) was again extended by three months, persecution and pressure on civil society and political activists, human rights defenders and independent media continued.
16.01.2013 Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in December 2012
In December, the foreign policy still played a decisive role in the situation of human rights in Belarus. The general stagnation in the relations between the Belarusian authorities and the European democracies determined the stably bad situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms without significant deterioration during the reported period.
15.12.2012 Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violation in Belarus in November 2012
The human rights situation in Belarus in November can be described as a period of stagnation and crisis: the stably bad situation remained the same, and a significant deterioration was registered.
15.11.2012 Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in October 2012
The situation of human rights in Belarus remained stably bad in October. 12 political prisoners continued being kept behind bars: Ihar Alinevich, Mikalai Autukhovich, Ales Bialiatski, Dzmitry Dashkevich, Mikalai Dziadok, Aliaksandr Frantskevich, Eduard Lobau, Vasil Parfiankou, Artsiom Prakapenka, Pavel Seviarynets, Mikalai Statkevich and Yauhen Vaskovich. The decision to toughen the prison regime was taken towards Dzmitry Dashkevich, as a result of which he was transferred from colony to a cell-type prison for the rest of the term.
15.10.2012 Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in September 2012
The situation of human rights in Belarus remained stably bad in September. At the same time, important changes in the situation of political prisoners took place – two political prisoners were released: Vitsebsk activist of the Conservative-Christian Party “Belarusian Popular Front” Siarhei Kavalenka and an activist of the anarchist movement Pavel Syramalotau (on 26 and 27 September respectively). Both political prisoners had written pardon petitions for Lukashenka back in June 2012. However, the decision about their release was taken only three months after.
