News on the topic: human rights
02.06.2017 Belarusian human rights defenders urge UN Human Rights Council to extend Special Rapporteur’s mandate
From 30 May to 1 June, Valiantsin Stefanovich, lawyer of the Human Rights Center "Viasna", and Hanna Herasimava, Director of the Barys Zvozskau Belarusian Human Rights House, met with the delegations of various countries to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva to inform them about the situation with human rights in Belarus.
23.05.2017 Belarus backsliding badly on human rights: U.N. report
The Belarus government has returned to a policy of large-scale repression, causing a dramatic deterioration in human rights, according to a report published on Monday for submission to next month's session of the U.N. Human Rights Council.
19.05.2017 ‘Tough and slow’: For the first time in 20 years Belarus reports to UN Human Rights Committee
On May 18, Minsk hosted a discussion of the country’s periodic report on the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The document has already been submitted by the Government of Belarus to the United Nations Human Rights Committee. The event was organized jointly by the UN Office in Belarus and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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.
13.04.2017 Human Rights Defenders Present Key Recommendations in Brussels Concerning Belarus
During a working visit to Brussels, Belarusian and international human rights defenders held meetings in EU structures, discussing the events of recent few months and calling on EU member states to take decisive measures regarding the Belarusian state in order to reach progress in the sphere of human rights in the country.
06.04.2017 European Parliament condemns “crackdown on peaceful protesters” in Belarus
The European Parliament condemns the “crackdown on peaceful protesters” in mass demonstrations by thousands of citizens across Belarus, in particular on Freedom Day (25 March), when security forces violently attacked and beat protesters and arrested hundreds of people, including domestic and foreign journalists reporting on the events. The protests were directed against the adoption of a Presidential Decree introducing a so-called “social-parasite tax”, designed to penalise unemployment with fees and forced labour.
05.04.2017 Human Rights Watch: Keep up pressure on Belarus to release detainees and respect fundamental freedoms
“Belarusian authorities led a shocking, all-out assault on peaceful assembly around the Freedom Day protests,” said Yulia Gorbunova, Belarus researcher at Human Rights Watch. “They should immediately release everyone who was detained in connection with the protests and investigate allegations of police mistreatment.”
05.04.2017 Authorities’ actions contradict their words, EU delegation says
The Belarusian authorities’ recent actions contradict the country’s stated policy of democratization and international commitments, the European Union’s delegation to the third round of the EU-Belarus Coordination Group said in a statement on April 4.
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.
09.03.2017 Belarus still "an authoritarian state", U.S. Human Rights Report says
"Since his election as president in 1994, Aliaksandr Lukashenka has consolidated his rule over all institutions and undermined the rule of law through authoritarian means, including manipulated elections and arbitrary decrees," says the U.S. Department of State's Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Belarus for 2016.
03.03.2017 A necessary pillar for a lasting peace
“We, as human rights defenders, do not believe that people stand beside sufferance without compassion. People said “never again,” and their will has been a lasting peace.”
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.
22.02.2017 Amnesty International Annual Report: Severe restrictions remain in place in Belarus
"Severe restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression, of association and of peaceful assembly remained in place. The government continued to refuse co-operation with the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Belarus. At least four people were executed and four people were sentenced to death," Amnesty International said in its Annual Report.
20.02.2017 Libereco: no improvement in human rights situation one year after sanctions were lifted
One year ago, on 15 February 2016, the EU Foreign Affairs Council decided to lift most of the sanctions against Belarus. This decision was preceded by a reduction in visible repression in Belarus since the summer of 2015, through the release of political prisoners and relatively peaceful presidential elections.
15.02.2017 Civil Rights Defenders: EU Sanctions Lifted at the Expense of Civil and Political Rights in Belarus
One year ago, the EU lifted sanctions against Belarus. The sanctions were imposed in response to human rights violations perpetrated by the Belarusian regime, but were lifted without any improvements to the human rights situation. On the one year anniversary, Civil Rights Defenders releases a report entitled: Dictatorship No More? EU Sanctions Lifted at the Expense of Civil and Political Rights in Belarus.
