News on the topic: human rights
27.11.2015 Lawtrend writes to UN Special Rapporteurs about pressure on journalists and human rights defenders
At least 12 people were charged with illegal demonstrating as a result of a protest held on November 24 in central Minsk. The Legal Transformation Center Lawtrend has prepared a communication, which was joined by the Human Rights Center "Viasna" and the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, to complain about the incident.
25.11.2015 Ales Bialiatski: American politicians and activist interested in Belarus
Head of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" Ales Bialiatski has returned from a working visit to Washington, where he met with members of Congress, senators, officials of the State Department and non-governmental organizations based in the U.S.
04.11.2015 CoE Commissioner for Human Rights: “Belarus has a lot of challenges ahead in order to become a fully democratic country”
Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights, has told about his perception of the human rights situation in Belarus and the prospects of cooperation between Belarus and the Council of Europe in an interview with Radio Liberty/Radio Free Europe Belarus service.
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.
30.10.2015 Saudi-blogger Raif Badawi awarded 2015 Sakharov Prize
A top human rights prize goes to Saudi-blogger Raif Badawi. Previous winners include Nobel Peace Prize laureates Aung San Suu Kyi and Nelson Mandela.
29.10.2015 Belarus to report at UN Human Rights Committee
For the first time since 1997, Belarus will present its report on the implementation of its international obligations at a session of the UN Human Rights Committee. The list of questions prepared by the Committee includes those that have been recommended by the Belarusian human rights activists.
22.10.2015 24 October: Global landmarks are lit as part of the 'Turn the World UN Blue' Campaign
To help celebrate the UN's 70th anniversary, more than 200 iconic monuments, buildings, statues, bridges, and other landmarks in nearly 60 countries across the globe will be lit up blue on UN Day, 24 October, as part of an exciting new global campaign which helps unite global citizens and promote the message of peace, development and human rights.
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.
30.09.2015 Pivotal moment for democracy in Kyrgyzstan: defenders facing increasing pressure
Preliminary findings of a fact-finding mission on the conditions and vulnerabilities of human rights defenders and organisations.
29.09.2015 Valiantsin Stefanovich: No systemic changes in the field of human rights
On September 28, the OSCE ODIHR Human Dimension Conference in Warsaw hosted a side event with participation of Belarusian non-governmental organizations: the Assembly of Democratic NGOs, the Center for Legal Transformation Lawtrend, as well as campaigns “Human Rights Defenders For Free Elections” and “Right To Choose”.
23.09.2015 Valiantsin Stefanovich: “We all know what elections in Belarus come to”
The European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs held yesterday a hearing on the situation in Belarus, which was attended by Gunnar Wiegand, European External Action Service (EEAS) Director for Russia, Eastern Partnership, Central Asia, Regional Cooperation and OSCE, and Miklós Haraszti, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus. Valiantsin Stefanovich, deputy chairman of the Human Rights Center "Viasna", highlighted in his speech a number of issues, focusing on the presidential election scheduled for October 11.
23.09.2015 Activist in Viciebsk wins compensation over years of persecution
The Court of Viciebsk’s Kastryčnicki district has ruled to partially grant a claim by local opposition activist Piotr Ivanou. As a result, the government is expected to pay 25 million rubles in moral damages. The initial amount that the activist mentioned in his lawsuit was over 7.5 billion rubles.
22.09.2015 Ongoing politically motivated criminal affairs in Belarus should be closed
Ongoing politically motivated criminal affairs in Belarus should be closed. Joint Press release by FIDH - International Federation for Human Rights and Human Rights Center VIASNA
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.
