04.12.2017 Human Rights Situation in Belarus: November 2017
In November, the government continued to use repressive practices against political opponents and civil society activists; there were no significant systemic changes in the field of human rights.
02.11.2017 Human Rights Situation in Belarus: October 2017
The widely announced changes in the Law "On Mass Events" and the introduction of the notification-based principle of some static types of events (pickets, meetings, rallies) in a limited number of locations authorized by local executive bodies will not significantly improve the situation with the implementation of the freedom of peaceful assembly.
03.10.2017 Human Rights Situation in Belarus: September 2017
On 12 and 25 September, the Ministry of Justice recertified (including in several instances outside schedule) a number of defense lawyers. The country’s human rights community regarded the move as a blatant interference of government bodies in the activities of the Bar.
04.09.2017 Human Rights Situation in Belarus: August 2017
In August, the authorities continued the policy of repression against civil society activists and the political opposition.
02.08.2017 Human Rights Situation in Belarus: July 2017
The government of Belarus still adheres to the policy of repression against civil society activists and members of the political opposition, which started in the spring of this year, while assumptions of its mitigation are still premature.
10.07.2017 Human Rights Situation in Belarus: June 2017
The closing of a series of criminal cases with clear political motives and the release of all the persons arrested on the eve of March 25, prompt cautious optimism, but do not testify to a change of the government’s policy in the field of protecting human rights as a whole and do not give grounds for claims of less repressive practices as an established trend.
05.06.2017 Human Rights Situation in Belarus: May 2017
The month was marked by a continued negative trend evidencing the deterioration of the overall human rights situation in the country.
03.05.2017 Human Rights Situation in Belarus: April 2017
The month was marked by a continuation of the negative trends observed since early March, indicating a decline in the overall human rights situation in the country and testifying to the return of the authorities of Belarus to the policy of the worst repressive practices.
03.04.2017 Human Rights Situation in Belarus: March 2017
March was marked by a dramatic deterioration of the human rights situation in the country, which testifies to the return of the authorities of Belarus to the policy of the worst repressive practices.
02.03.2017 Human Rights Situation in Belarus: February 2017
In the second half of February, a wave of peaceful assemblies against the Decree was held across Belarus. On February 17, a protest called “The March of Angry Belarusians” took place in Minsk; on February 19, a rally “Non-Parasites’ March” was held in Homieĺ; on the same day a march and a rally were held in Mahilioŭ; protests against Decree No. 3 were held on Sunday, February 26, in Babrujsk, Baranavičy, Brest and Viciebsk.
07.02.2017 Human Rights Situation in Belarus: January 2017
During the month, there were cases of confiscation and seizure of personal property of citizens in connection with their failure to pay administrative fines imposed for participation in peaceful assemblies. Human rights defenders regard these cases as a form of repression in connection with the exercise of the freedom of peaceful assembly and expression.
23.01.2017 Human Rights Situation in Belarus in 2016. Analytical Review
Changes in the geopolitical situation in the neighboring countries continued to have a significant impact on both external and internal political situation in the country during 2016, which in turn affected the human rights situation in Belarus.
09.01.2017 Human Rights Situation in Belarus: December 2016
During the month, Viasna documented a few instances of the use of forced labor in some districts of the Minsk region, which together with the earlier recorded reports, is evidence of a systemic and systematic use of forced labor in the country.
05.12.2016 Human Rights Situation in Belarus: November 2016
Enforcement of the three recent death sentences is a major negative trend of the month, as it demonstrates the apparent reluctance of the official Minsk to abolish the death penalty in the near future.
04.11.2016 Human Rights Situation in Belarus: October 2016
The court sentences against Paliyenka and Palchys did not change Viasna’s evaluation of their criminal cases, but at the same time, we welcome the moderation shown by the Belarusian authorities and the application of penalties not related to deprivation of liberty.