The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

02.06.2016 Human Rights Situation in Belarus: May 2016

During the month, there were some negative trends indicating the deterioration of the human rights situation in comparison with the previous months.

02.05.2016 Human Rights Situation in Belarus: April 2016

Despite the fact that none of the unauthorized peaceful assemblies held during the month was intervened by the law enforcement authorities or forcibly stopped, the participants and organizers of these gatherings continued to be brought to administrative responsibility and faced heavy fines.

01.04.2016 Human Rights Situation in Belarus: March 2016

In March, there were 43 cases of administrative prosecution for taking part or organizing unsanctioned mass events.

01.03.2016 Human Rights Situation in Belarus: February 2016

There were no new politically motivated criminal cases during the month, which is a continuation of the general trend of reducing the level of repression in the country observed since last August.

02.02.2016 Human Rights Situation in Belarus: January 2016

The month was marked by certain negative trends, indicating the deterioration of the human rights situation in comparison with the last three months of 2015.

24.01.2016 Human Rights Situation in Belarus in 2015. Analytical review

In general, in 2015 there were no systemic changes aimed at qualitative improvement of the human rights situation in the country. Basic civil and political rights were still limited at the legislative level. Despite the overall decline in the scale of repression, the level of control over society remained extremely high.

04.01.2016 Human Rights Situation in Belarus: December 2015

Representatives of the country’s human rights organizations still call on the authorities to take a number of restorative measures aimed at improving the human rights situation in the country and demonstrate their interest in further development of the Belarus-EU relations.

02.12.2015 Human Rights Situation in Belarus: November 2015

During November, there were no systemic changes indicating the willingness of the authorities to drastically improve the human rights situation in the country.

30.11.2015 Human rights defenders and their rights: National legislation and international instruments

Article 6 of the UN Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, which was adopted by the General Assembly’s Resolution 53/144 of 9 December 1998, defines the rights of human rights defenders in the field of searching and disseminating information on human rights and fundamental freedoms.

02.11.2015 Human Rights Situation in Belarus: October 2015

Despite an overall positive trend observed in the last three months, October was marked by an increase in the number of administrative penalties, mainly fines, imposed on the organizers and participants of peaceful assemblies, as well as cases of arbitrary detention.

01.10.2015 Human Rights Situation in Belarus: September 2015

September was marked by an ongoing trend of certain mitigating in the human rights situation in the country, which began in August, with no systemic changes in the area observed, however.

31.08.2015 Human Rights Situation in Belarus: August 2015

On August 22, it was reported that President Aliaksandr Lukashenka pardoned and released from prison six political prisoners: Mikalai Statkevich, Mikalai Dziadok, Ihar Alinevich, Yury Rubtsou, Artsiom Prakapenka, and Yauhen Vaskovich. Despite the absence of any systemic changes in the field of human rights, the move of the authorities can be assessed as positive.

04.08.2015 Human Rights Situation in Belarus: July 2015

There were no positive developments in the human rights situation in Belarus during the month. conditions of detention and increasing pressure on political prisoners continued to be an issue of particular concern for human rights organizations.

06.07.2015 Human Rights Situation in Belarus: June 2015

During the month there were no positive developments in the human rights situation in Belarus. Increased pressure on political prisoners caused particular concern of both Belarusian and international human rights organizations.