News on the topic: statement
02.05.2013 "Viasna" urges the authorities to stop the practice of pressurizing civic activists and take measures for the abolishment of Article 193.1 of the Criminal Code
The Human Rights Center "Viasna" urges the Belarusian authorities to stop the practice of intimidation and pressurization of civic activists and immediately decriminalize the activity of unregistered organizations.
30.04.2013 FIDH and Viasna demand that charges dropped against those convicted after Chernobyl Way March
FIDH and the Human Rights Center “Viasna” demand that charges against six people, including two journalists, one human rights defender and one activist, be dropped in relation to their engagement in this years annual commemoration of the Chernobyl nuclear accident.
30.04.2013 Organising committee of Chernobyl Way rally: It was abduction of demonstrators
Members of the organising committee for holding the Chernobyl Way rally had a press conference in Minsk. The website charter97.org has learnt it from Vital Rymasheuski, a co-head of the organising committee to found the Belarusian Christian Democracy party (BCD).
30.04.2013 Reporters Without Borders: Authorities try to suppress coverage of anti-nuke demos
Reporters Without Borders condemns the arrests of at least six journalists on 26 April while they were covering anti-nuclear marches that environmentalists and opposition activists organize each year on the anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
29.04.2013 Statement by Radio Racyja on detention of journalists
The Belarusian Radio Racyja expresses its protest at the detention of two journalists.
26.04.2013 UN Secretary-General's statement on 26th anniversary of Chernobyl Disaster
Today marks the 26th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, the worst nuclear power plant accident in history. On this occasion, we remember the hundreds of emergency workers who risked their lives in responding to the accident; the more than 330,000 people who were evacuated from surrounding areas with little hope of return; the thousands of children who later contracted thyroid cancer; and the six million people still living in the affected areas of Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine.
19.04.2013 BAJ Objects to Ashmiany Court Verdict on ‘Extremism’ in ‘Press Photo Belarus 2011’ Photo Album
The Belarusian Association of Journalists has sharply objected to the decision of Ashmiany District Court on recognizing the ‘Press Photo Belarus 2011’ photo album as an extremist material.
18.04.2013 Amnesty International: Silencing civil society in Belarus
The report, What is not permitted is prohibited: Silencing civil society in Belarus, shows how the authorities in Belarus regularly deny the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, association and expression, preventing people from speaking out in public, holding demonstrations or setting up civil organizations. Peaceful demonstrators frequently face fines or even prison sentences.
09.04.2013 PEN-center issues a public statement in support of independent photographers
The national civil association "Belarusian PEN-center" issued a statement in support of indepent photographers. According to media information, a civil case has been brought against Yuliya Darashkevich and Vadzim Zamirouski, the organizers of the artistic contest "Belarus Press Photo 2011" and the court proceedings against them will start soon.
04.04.2013 Restrictions on access of human rights defenders to foreign financing contribute to impunity
Paris-Geneva, 3 April 2013. In a recent annual report Observatory for the Protection of human rights defenders drew attention to the new negative trends affecting the effective work of human rights defenders. Restrictions on access to financing, particularly foreign, are increasingly used by governments, which tend to make defenders silenced.
04.04.2013 Human rights defenders issue a statement concerning the cracking of the website of Mahiliou "Viasna" branch
In the evening of 2 April unidentified persons acquired unauthorized access to the website of Mahiliou branch of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" and published an article with threats to indpendent journalist Ales Burakou on behalf of human rights defender Barys Bukhel. The unknown offenders hacked the website security and changed the administrator's passwords.
28.03.2013 Belarusian NGOs call on Russian authorities to stop harassment of human rights defenders
Representatives of Belarusian NGOs issued a joint statement on the recent facts of persecution of NGOs and human rights defenders in the Russian Federation.
22.03.2013 Adoption of an unprecedented resolution at the UN to end the financial strangulation of human rights NGOs
Today, the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council gave a strong response to the increasing trend of curtailing - when not criminalizing - the activities of human rights defenders by limiting their right to access funding, especially when they come from foreign countries. The Council adopted by consensus an unprecedented resolution, introduced by Norway and co-sponsored by 62 States, affirming that “no law should criminalise or de-legitimise activities in defence of human rights on account of the origin of funding”.
20.03.2013 Reporters Without Borders: Poczobut can still be arrested
Reporters Without Borders welcomes last week’s decision to drop the charge of defaming Lukashenko that was brought in June 2012 against Andrzej Poczobut.
05.03.2013 Critical Situation for Political Prisoners in Belarus and Freedom for 40 Activists Considerably Restricted
The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and its Belarusian member organization, Human Rights Center Viasna, are outraged at the large-scale and systematic acts of repression being inflicted upon both political prisoners and individuals whose freedom has been restricted for political reasons. It hereby releases a document detailing this repression and calls upon the regime to cease its oppressive behavior.
