News on the topic: statement
28.03.2017 Civic solidarity movement condemns mass detentions and police violence in Belarus
We, the undersigned members of the Civic Solidarity Platform (CSP), a coalition of human rights NGOs from Europe, the former Soviet Union region and North America, and other non-governmental organisations decry the mass detentions of peaceful demonstrators, journalists and human rights defenders, as well as the use of violence and abusive treatment targeting them in Belarus on 25-26 March 2017.
28.03.2017 Foreign Office statement on demonstrations in Belarus
Government of Belarus urged to respect right to peaceful protest
28.03.2017 EPDE calls on Belarusian authorities to release the peaceful protesters
On Saturday 25 March the Minsk office of the Belarusian EPDE-member organisation Human Rights Center Viasna was raided by the police. 57 human rights defenders, among them the Chairman of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, Aleh Hulak, also a member of EPDE, were detained. The lawyer of the HRC Viasna was hospitalized after he was beaten by the police.
27.03.2017 FIDH and OMCT: HRC “Viasna” office unlawfully raided, dozens arrested
"At least 57 persons involved in the monitoring of ongoing peaceful protests, including foreign nationals from France, Germany, Ukraine and Russia, were arrested today at the office of Human Rights Centre “Viasna” in Minsk. The arrest took place ahead of peaceful protests to be held on March 25, 2017. Arrests of protesters, journalists and monitors are reportedly on-going," FIDH said on Saturday.
27.03.2017 Rigoni calls for immediate release of detained Belarusian activists
Andrea Rigoni (ALDE, Italy), following his fact-finding visit to Minsk on 23-24 March 2017, called on the Belarusian authorities to stay focused on their path of dialogue with the Parliamentary Assembly and to immediately release all those who have been detained in connection with the March demonstrations and the annual 'Freedom Day' commemoration on 25th March.
26.03.2017 OSCE/ODIHR Director Link condemns undue restrictions on demonstrations and unnecessary use of force against peaceful protesters in Belarus
WARSAW, 26 March 2017 - Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, today condemned the reported undue restrictions on public assemblies and the unnecessary use of force by Belarusian authorities against peaceful protestors in Minsk and other cities in the country.
26.03.2017 Belarus: Vicious crackdown on peaceful protests mars ‘Freedom Day’
Belarusian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release all those arrested before and during peaceful protests and end their vicious crackdown against demonstrators, Amnesty International said after dozens of ‘Freedom Day’ demonstrators were violently arrested and human rights observers detained.
26.03.2017 Statement of the United States Embassy in Minsk on the Prevention of Freedom Day Demonstrations
The United States notes with deep concern that authorities in Belarus failed to allow peaceful demonstrations in Minsk for the annual “Freedom Day” commemoration.
25.03.2017 Use of force against peaceful protesters cannot be justified, EU said
Statement by the Spokesperson on the events in the run up to and during today's Freedom Day in Belarus
22.03.2017 Belarus: First death sentence in 2017
Paris-Minsk. FIDH and its member organisation in Belarus Human Rights Centre "Viasna" denounce the first death sentence in 2017 and regret the Belarusian authorities continue to ignore calls to render Europe a death penalty-free zone.
18.03.2017 ODIHR Director calls on Belarus to uphold rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and expression in protests
Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), expressed concern over the reported fining and detention of dozens of protestors and human rights activists in Belarus over the last week for their participation in peaceful public assemblies.
18.03.2017 EU calls to release detained protesters in Belarus
"The latest developments in Belarus highlight a clear need for a broader democratisation process in the country. Freedom of association and of assembly needs to be ensured. Recently detained peaceful protesters, including journalists covering the events, must be immediately released," Spokesperson of the European Union External Action Service said in a statement.
17.03.2017 Belarus crackdown: more than 200 arrested or detained in two weeks
The new repression of peaceful protesters currently ongoing in Belarus confirms the absence of political change, declared FIDH and Human Rights Center (HRC) Viasna today.
16.03.2017 Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders: Stop harassment of Leanid Sudalenka and Anatol Paplauny
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders requests intervention ahead of tomorrow's trial of Viasna's human rights defenders Leanid Sudalenka and Anatol Paplauny in Homieĺ.
16.03.2017 HRHF voices concerns over "parasites tax" protests at UN Human Rights Council
"Everybody should be allowed to exercise their right to peaceful assembly," Léa Meindre-Chautrand, International Advocacy Associate at the Human Rights House Foundation, said in a statement to the UN Human Rights Council on March 15.
