News on the topic: torture
05.07.2021 Viasna's human rights activist spoke about beatings during detention
Human rights defender and member of the Board of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" Zmitser Salaujou is preparing a petition against the officers of the Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption (GUBOP).
29.06.2021 Civic Solidarity Platform's anti-torture working group presents its second Index on Torture
In 2020, the Working Group developed the Index and conducted the first pilot measurement in 8 countries of the OSCE region.
09.06.2021 Prisoner swallows “metallic objects” to protest torture
Artsiom Anishchuk swallowed several metallic objects to avoid “physical and psychological violence” he has been subjected to during his stay at penal colony No. 15 in Mahilioŭ, novychas.by said quoting the inmate’s lawyer, who managed to see his client for the first time since May 13.
24.03.2021 Joint statement by 19 states in support of the establishment of the International Accountability Platform for Belarus
Statement on behalf of Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America
24.03.2021 HRDs launch International Accountability Platform for Belarus
New international accountability platform will contribute to the efforts aimed at ensuring accountability for serious human rights violations in Belarus
28.01.2021 New report exposes denial of justice for victims of torture and police violence
Authorities in Belarus are using a variety of stratagems to thwart fair investigations into hundreds of complaints of violence and acts of torture by security forces following disputed presidential elections, says a report published today by two human rights groups, the Committee Against Torture (CAT Russia) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT).
27.01.2021 Impunity for perpetrators of torture reinforces need for international justice
A new report by Amnesty International reveals how the Belarusian authorities have weaponized the justice system to punish victims of torture rather than perpetrators, as part of a widespread and brutal crackdown on dissent in the wake of post-election protests.
26.01.2021 BHC and Viasna’s submission to Committee against Torture ahead of Belarus UPR session
The Belarusian Helsinki Committee and the Human Rights Center "Viasna" have prepared a number of issues and questions to be addressed to the government of Belarus during the forthcoming review of its human rights record at the 70th session of the UN Committee against Torture.
16.12.2020 "They broke my nose and car because I had a white ribbon." Survivor stories
On the night of August 11-12, 31-year-old Minsk resident Mikalai Bondar was literally dragged from his car by law enforcement officers for a white ribbon on his arm. The traffic and riot policemen smashed his car, beat him, broke his nose, and took him to the detention center.
15.12.2020 Amnesty International: Tortured detainee denied medical care
Viachaslau Rahashchuk is a taxi driver from the Belarusian city of Pinsk who was arbitrarily detained in 10 August and remains behind bars. He is in need of urgent medical treatment due to injuries he sustained from being tortured while in detention.
14.12.2020 Violent protest dispersion resulted in a broken arm and a night at the detention center. Survivor stories
My knee was seriously injured, and in general the right side of my body was just smashed. There was a real psychopath among the riot policemen. When he detained me, he was on my right side, and the other riot policeman was on my left. While my left side was injured, but not critically, my right side was just smashed.
11.12.2020 "We felt like we were chickens brought to a cage with tigers." Survivor stories
The riot police came out of the road police car. They poked their shotguns into our windows and told us to get out. We did. They put us on our knees and asked, 'Do you want change?' They hit us on the head with batons.
09.12.2020 New report on post-election protests presented in Minsk. Full English text
A coalition of Belarusian human rights defenders presented today a report entitled “Belarus. August 2020: “Justice” for Protesters.” It highlights violations of the standards of a fair trial after tens of thousands of peaceful demonstrators protested the rigged presidential election and thousands were detained en masse and were convicted in August 2020.
07.12.2020 "Let's take him to the police van, let the guys have fun." Survivor stories
I was quite brutally detained. They immediately grabbed my phone because I was in the middle of a conversation. They said a few words and put me on the ground or my knees, I do not remember that for sure. And then the beatings started.
04.12.2020 "We brought you to the execution, guys." Survivor stories
We ran up to the third floor crouched and were beaten with batons along the way. They put people in cells in threes. Our cell was meant for six people. After a while, there were 32 men in that cell.
