News on the topic: freedom of peaceful assembly
17.08.2020 Viasna insists on criminal charges against security officers amid vast torture evidence
Human rights activists of “Viasna” appealed to the Prosecutor General’s Office demanding immediate initiation of a criminal case against law enforcement officers who abused their authority in dispersing peaceful demonstrators.
14.08.2020 Belarus must stop attacking peaceful protesters, UN human rights experts say
UN human rights experts* today strongly criticised Belarus for police violence against peaceful protesters and journalists and large scale detention following a controversial presidential election, and called on the international community to put pressure on Belarus to stop attacking its own citizens.
14.08.2020 People are seeking change in Belarus. Instead, they’re being mercilessly beaten and detained
Usually when you walk the streets of central Minsk late at night, it seems like a very youthful city. Now, few people over 30 are out and about. Police apparently have license to hunt anyone who has the audacity to be outside.
14.08.2020 Hundreds of protesters released from prisons. Torture reports mount
Several hundred protesters were released from the three detention centers in Minsk and Žodzina last night, while the exact number of them remains unknown. Many of them were taken away in ambulances immediately after leaving the prisons.
13.08.2020 HRDs appeal to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and Thematic Special Rapporteurs
Several leading human rights organizations of Belarus have written to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, as well as a number of thematic Special Rapporteurs urging them to take urgent measures in response to the human rights crisis in Belarus.
13.08.2020 Post-election protests. Day 4
Around 700 people were detained last night after riot police again violently dispersed dozens of peaceful protests in Minsk and other cities of Belarus, including Hrodna, Mahilioŭ, Homieĺ, Brest, Viciebsk, Barysaŭ, Baranavičy, Babrujsk, Lida, Fanipaĺ, Rahačoŭ, Navapolack, Smaliavičy, etc
13.08.2020 UN Human Rights Chief condemns violent response of Belarus to post-electoral protests
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Wednesday condemned the violent response of the Belarusian authorities to the peaceful demonstrations held across the country in the aftermath of the presidential election and called for people’s grievances to be heard.
12.08.2020 1,000 detained on third night of protests
Around a thousand protesters were reportedly detained last night after riot police dispersed dozens of local demonstrations in 25 cities across the country. Fifty demonstrators were injured and had to seek medical assistance, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
11.08.2020 FIDH: Police Must Refrain from Excessive Force Against Peaceful Protesters
One person was killed, dozens were hospitalised and hundreds more were detained during mass protests in Belarus following the announcement of preliminary results of yesterday’s presidential elections. Riot police used stun grenades, rubber bullets and water cannons to crack down on peaceful protesters in Minsk and other cities of Belarus, in violation of international human rights law. FIDH reiterates its call for authorities to refrain from violence against peaceful protesters.
11.08.2020 Amnesty International: Police unleash appalling violence on peaceful protesters
Amnesty International’s delegates in the Belarusian capital Minsk witnessed appalling violence unleashed by riot police on peaceful protesters who took to the streets last night after official announcements on election results, which protesters view as rigged.
11.08.2020 Second night of protests: Police violence, more injuries, death confirmed
A protester reportedly died last night during a violent clash between demonstrators and riot police in Prytycki Avenue in Minsk, according to the authorities. The Interior Ministry said the man was killed after he tried to cast a self-made bomb. However, the information is not confirmed by any evidence.
10.08.2020 Human rights activists call to end arrests, violence and use of weapons against peaceful civilians
Joint statement by human rights organizations of Belarus
08.08.2020 Two protesters in hospital after violent dispersal of cycling rally in Minsk
At least six people were detained last night after riot police and internal troops dispersed a cycling protest in central Minsk.
06.08.2020 FIDH and Viasna: As Protests Continue Ahead of Presidential Election, Authorities Must Refrain from Violence
Local human rights groups warn that the mobilisation of the military ahead of the August 9th elections could lead to further escalation of violence. FIDH and Viasna Human Rights Centre call on the Belarusian authorities to refrain from using violence against peaceful protesters and to ensure transparency throughout the electoral process.
03.08.2020 Amnesty International: Armed forces have no business in dealing with protests
On 24 July, Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka publicly stated that he was prepared to use the Armed Forces to “restore order” and put down street protests and demonstrations. This remark was made in the context of an upcoming presidential election on 9 August, in which the incumbent will be seeking re-election for his sixth term. It follows weeks of mass protests against electoral violations across the country, all of them peaceful except those that were brutally dispersed by the authorities which resulted in isolated incidents of police-provoked violence.
