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.
12.09.2012 Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in July-August 2012
In July and August, the human rights situation in Belarus deteriorated. Hopes for an easing of the political climate at the time of the parliamentary election campaign were not justified. None of the thirteen political prisoners were released. Moreover, new names were added to the list.
12.07.2012 Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in June 2012
Events in June clearly demonstrated that Belarusian authorities considered human rights issues only in the dimension of political relations with the EU and other countries of Europe. The focus of these relations was still on the problem of political prisoners. Due to the complete lack of political will for the release of political prisoners by Belarusian authorities, the EU announced the possibility of extending the list of the state officials of Belarus falling under its sanctions. This was announced on 18 June in Brussels by Gunnar Wiegand, Director of the European External Action Service Department for Russia, Eastern Partnership, Central Asia, regional cooperation and OSCE.
25.06.2012 Weekly analytical report on monitoring results: June 18 – 24
- The election campaign begins in unfavorable environment, on the background of political repression, in conditions of the pressure on the opposition forces and the civic society. Political prisoners continue to stay behind the bars, and the recent arrest of independent journalist Andrzej Poczobut demonstrates intensification of the repression against the independent media.
18.06.2012 Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in May 2012
May did not bring any positive changes in the human rights situation in general and the situation of political prisoners in particular. On 24 May, while listening to a report by the Minister for Foreign Affairs Siarhei Martynau, Aliaksandr Lukashenka explicitly stated he had no intention to change his position on political prisoners: "Lately, I have been hearing more and more statements that European diplomats here are waiting for some kind of amnesty, starting talks about political prisoners, and so on. I just want to publicly say that I will not return to this subject (...) We are waiting for concrete steps from the West, the European Union. The ball is on their side. It is my firm conviction. That’s why I am not going to wait for this play on old instruments by old notes again."
