News on the topic: legislation
22.08.2024 Lukashenka's bill: humanism or more persecution? Lawyer Pavel Sapelka comments
Viasna lawyer Pavel Sapelka analyzed the innovations proposed by Lukashenka and spoke about the most significant of them.
05.08.2024 Legal trouble abroad: Can Belarusian embassies take your passport?
Many Belarusian immigrants wonder if it is safe to visit embassies if they are facing criminal persecution in their country. Can embassy officials seize their passports?
24.07.2024 "Aimed at inducing convicts to plead guilty." Viasna lawyer analyzes the changes in the law on open-type correctional institutions
Viasna lawyer Pavel Sapelka analyzed the amendments to the law and explained what would change for those sentenced to open-type correctional institutions, what would be considered a "violation of the conditions of serving time", and spoke about pleading guilty, which has now become a legal condition for being considered "corrected".
18.07.2024 "The restriction on the transfer of sanitary pads to women is abuse of power." Viasna lawyer comments new changes in the colonies
The law On Amendments to Criminal Liability Codes came into force in Belarus on July 12. Viasna lawyer Pavel Sapelka analyzed the new law and explained what changes await those sentenced to imprisonment.
11.06.2024 The results of the first decade of the new stage of the world struggle against forced labor. The experience of Belarus and its closest neighbors
Together with Viasna human rights activist Aleh Matskevich, we talk about the international and Belarusian practice of eliminating forced labor through the ratification of these important international documents.
04.06.2024 Amnesty 2024: in honor of the liberation of Belarus without the release of political prisoners
Since Belarus asserted its independence, more than a dozen amnesty laws have been adopted. This usually happens in connection with the state celebration of some anniversary.
17.05.2024 All-Belarusian People's Assembly is a form of (non)implementation of the right to take part in the conduct of public affairs
The "Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections" campaign analyzed the All-Belarusian People's Assembly (ABPA).
03.05.2024 Forced labor: how the Belarusian government does (not) comply with international obligations
We have discussed with Viasna human rights activist Aleh Matskevich what forced labor is, how its prohibition is regulated, and also analyzed what Belarus has (not) done to abolish forced labor.
04.12.2023 "Healthcare in prison is a black mirror that each of us has looked into"
In Vilnius, on November 29, a public initiative Doctors for Truth and Justice held a conference on penitentiary medicine and psychology in Belarus.
21.11.2023 Violation of the right not to be tried twice? The UN expressed concern about the use of article 411
Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus and Working Group on Arbitrary Detention appealed to the Belarusian state regarding the application of article 411 of the Criminal Code of Belarus. There was no response from the Belarusian state to this appeal.
23.02.2023 "A weapon to fight dissent." New amendments to the Criminal Code approved by the Belarusian deputies
Viasna reports what other changes were approved by the Belarusian deputies.
07.12.2022 Andrei Paluda: “Authorities still consider the death penalty as a deterrent”
Human rights defender comments on the bill that introduces the death penalty for treason by an official or a military officer.
27.04.2022 Belarus to introduce the death penalty for attempted acts of terrorism
The relevant amendments to the Criminal Code passed by the House of Representatives
23.10.2020 HRDs condemn government-run Constitutional reform as “attempt to silence gross human rights violations”
We believe that the process of discussing changes to the Constitution organized by the authorities is an attempt to silence gross human rights violations, including torture of thousands of detainees. In the current catastrophic human rights situation in Belarus, the full devaluation of the rule of law, in an atmosphere of fear and intimidation, and given that a number of potential dialogue actors who enjoy the support of Belarusian society are in imprisonment, some de facto in exile, it is impossible to conduct a truly inclusive and effective process of discussing changes to the Constitution.
27.08.2019 Belarus’ civil society calls for legal tools to combat domestic violence
The Belarusian National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum has issued a statement urging government structures to “undertake a transparent and inclusive process for developing and adopting a comprehensive law to protect women and men, children and elderly people suffering from violence by relatives.”
