News on the topic: statement
18.04.2012 U.S. Helsinki Commission calls for increased efforts to secure release of other political prisoners
“The release of political prisoners Andrei Sannikau and Zmitser Bandarenka, following 16 months of incarceration, is a step in the right direction. The Government of Belarus must take the next step and immediately and unconditionally release all of the remaining political prisoners, including Mikalai Statkevich, Ales Bialiatski, Syarhei Kavalenka, Zmitser Dashkevich, Pavel Seviarynets, Mikalai Autukhovich, Eduard Lobau, Mikalai Dziadok and others, and guarantee the full restoration of their civil and political rights," said Representative Chris Smith, Chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission.
17.04.2012 U.S. Credits Minsk For Releasing Political Prisoners
The U.S. government has called Belarus’s decision to release a former presidential candidate and his campaign manager from prison “a significant step,” but also called on Minsk to immediately release all remaining political prisoners it is holding.
17.04.2012 Amnesty International urges Belarus to free remaining prisoners of conscience after two released
A decision to release two Belarusian prisoners of conscience including an opposition presidential candidate is a step in the right direction but the government now needs to free five others who have been in jail since 2011, Amnesty International said.
30.03.2012 FIDH and Viasna joint statement on political persecution of Siarhei Kavalenka
On 24 February 2012, the Pervomaisk District Court in Vitebsk sentenced opposition activist Siarhei Kavalenka to two years and one month imprisonment, having found him guilty of evading serving a punishment of supervised release.
30.03.2012 European Parliament publishes full text of critical resolution on Belarus
The European Parliament (EP) has published the full text of its critical resolution on Belarus that was adopted on March 29.
23.03.2012 CE Committee of Ministers condemns executions in Minsk
The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe adopted a declaration on March 22 deploring the execution of Kanavalau (Konovalov) and Kavalyou (Kovalev).
22.03.2012 BHC statement on execution of Kanavalau and Kavaliou
Belarusian Helsinki Committee deeply regrets the execution of the death penalty against Dzmitry Kanavalau and Uladzislau Kavaliou.
21.03.2012 Ukraine condemned executions in Belarus
Ukraine supports the statement of the European Union which condemns the execution by the Belarusian authorities of the persons charged with terrorist attack in Minsk metro.
21.03.2012 International civil society gorups release statement on execution of Uladzislau Kavalyou and Dzmitry Kanavalau
It was learned on 17 March 2012 that Dzmitry Kanavalau and Uladzislau Kavalyou, the two men sentenced to death in connection with the Minsk subway explosion in April 2011, had been executed.
20.03.2012 UN Accuses Belarus of Violating International Obligations
The United Nations Human Rights Committee voiced its grave concern over the execution of Dmitri Konovalov and Vladislav Kovalev. The latter filed a complaint to the committee, claiming fraudulent trial of his case and the pressure exerted upon him.
20.03.2012 Belarus must release bodies of convicts executed over Minsk metro bombing
The execution of two men convicted of carrying out a deadly metro bombing last year in Minsk has been condemned by Amnesty International as it called on the Belarus authorities to release the bodies to their families for burial.
19.03.2012 FIDH strongly condemns the execution of two young men after a blatantly unfair trial
"These executions are a further illustration of the total absence of an independent judiciary in Belarus, since the guilt of the two young men has not been clearly established and the trial was not fair. These capital shootings look like a way to silence two disturbing witnesses", said Souhayr Belhassen, President of FIDH.
16.03.2012 Front Line Defenders urges Belarus authorities to lift travel ban on human rights defenders
Over the past number of days, in a flagrant denial of their right to freedom of movement, several Belarusian human rights defenders have been stopped by border guards while they were leaving Belarus, along with numerous political activists and journalists.
15.03.2012 Human rights defenders stand for immediate introduction of a moratorium on the death penalty in Belarus
On 14 March 2012 Belarusian mass media published the information that Aliaksandr Lukashenka refused to pardon Uladzislau Kavaliou and Dzmitry Kanavalau.
26.01.2012 Human Rights House Network calls for immediate release and rehabilitation of Ales Bialiastki
The condemnation of Ales Bialiatski illustrates how seriously threatened freedom of association and freedom of expression are in Belarus. Members and partners of the Human Rights House Network call upon Belarusian authorities to immediately release and drop all charges against human rights defender Ales Bialiatski; to fully rehabilitate him and to ensure unhampered activities of human rights and other civil society organizations.
