The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

18.03.2020 Opposition activist facing 6 years in prison on vandalism charges

Pilip Shaurou, an activist of the Young Front opposition group, has faced formal charges, according to his wife Volha.

03.03.2020 YouTube vlogger charged with assault of police officer over abusive comment

Volha Zhurauskaya, a Viciebsk-based blogger running a YouTube channel called “Shooting is Allowed”, has been charged with assault of an official (Art. 369 of the Criminal Code).

14.02.2020 HRDs demand prompt retrial for convicted political prisoners

On February 12, 2020, the Court of the Saviecki district of Minsk sentenced anarchists Mikita Yemialiyanau and Ivan Komar to seven years in prison each for damage to public property (Art. 341 of the Criminal Code), attempted intentional damage to property and intentional damage to property (Part 1 of Art. 14, Part 2 of Art. 218, Part 2 of Art. 218 of the Criminal Code), unlawful actions in respect of items the damaging effect of which is based on the use of combustibles (Part 2 of Art. 295-3 of the Code).

13.02.2020 Anarchists receive lengthy prison terms over Molotov cocktail attack

Two activists describing themselves as anarchists were sentenced yesterday to seven years in a maximum-security penal colony following a trial that found them guilty on two counts of criminal hooliganism.

28.11.2019 Sentence in REP trade union trial commuted after an amnesty

The terms of “restricted liberty” earlier imposed on Henadz Fiadynich and Ihar Komlik, leaders of the independent trade union REP, have been reduced by 12 months, following an amnesty bill passed by the parliament, praca-by.info said.

25.10.2019 Ex-prisoner of conscience Dzmitry Paliyenka gets 10 months of “house arrest”

Dzmitry Paliyenka, former political prisoner and Amnesty International’s prisoner of conscience, has been sentenced to three years of “restricted freedom,” after a highly controversial trial at the Minsk City Court. The sentence will be reduced to 10 months, considering a recent amnesty and the defendant's stay in pre-trial detention. The activist was released in the courtroom.

18.10.2019 Belarusian Activist Slashes His Arm In Court Protest

A Belarusian civil society activist and former prisoner of conscience has slashed his hand in a courtroom to protest against his closed-door trial, which rights activists called politically motivated.

17.10.2019 Belarus: Politically motivated trial against former prisoner of conscience starts behind closed doors

The Belarusian authorities must uphold the right of former prisoner of conscience Dzmitry Paliyenka to a fair trial and ensure his hearing is open to the public, Amnesty International said ahead of the start of his trial on 17 October.

24.09.2019 Human rights activists demand open trial in Dzmitry Paliyenka case

The trial in the criminal case of anarchist activist Dzmitry Paliyenka has been scheduled for September 25. The hearing will be held behind closed doors at the Minsk City Court.

14.08.2019 Dzmitry Paliyenka case brought to trial

The case of former political prisoner and Amnesty International’s prisoner of conscience Dzmitry Paliyenka has been submitted to the Minsk City Court. The trial will open in early September.

09.07.2019 Critical blogger cleared of embezzlement charges

The Investigative Committee’s office in the city of Biaroza, Brest region, has closed the criminal case against blogger Aliaksandr Kabanau, known for his role in covering the environmental protests in Brest. He was suspected of misappropriation of more than 400 rubles (USD 200) under Art. 211, Part 1 of the Criminal Code.

18.04.2019 Critical blogger awarded heavy fine in police defamation trial

Blogger Siarhei Piatrukhin has been found guilty of slander and insult in a trial that was completed today in Brest.

09.04.2019 Belsat TV office raided by police

Police officers have searched the Minsk-based office of the TV channel Belsat, Belarusian Association of Journalists said.

08.04.2019 Dzmitry Paliyenka facing triple charge

Former political prisoner Dzmitry Paliyenka, who was arrested on March 20 on suspicion of committing a crime under Part 3, Art. 339 of the Criminal Code (especially malicious hooliganism), has been eventually formally charged, according to the activist’s friend Maryna Kasinerava.