News on the topic: legislation
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.”
04.05.2019 Ensure exercise of freedom of peaceful assembly!
Joint statement by human rights organizations Minsk, May 3, 2019
17.05.2018 Goodbye, Article 193-1!
The National Legal Internet Portal has published a draft bill on amendments to the Criminal Code, which was prepared by the Council of Ministers. According to the draft, it is planned to repeal Article 193-1 of the Criminal Code, which provides for criminal responsibility for activity on behalf of unregistered organizations.
16.11.2017 Fact sheet on the press conference by the campaign “Human Rights Defenders For Free Elections”
The fact sheet provides a timeline of measures taken by the campaign's experts towards cooperation with the interdepartmental expert working group under the CEC set up to examine the OSCE ODIHRrecommendations and to develop proposals to amend the electoral law.
02.11.2017 Niakliayeu is the first victim of ‘ruthless liberalization’
The court of Lieninski district of Minsk sentenced yesterday opposition leader Uladzimir Niakliayeu to 10 days of administrative detention, finding him guilty of violating Article 23.34 of the Administrative Code (breaching demonstration rules).
24.04.2017 Analytical review of detentions in Minsk in March 2017 (infographics)
From March 27 to April 13, the Human Rights Center "Viasna" collected and processed 130 questionnaires from individuals whose rights were violated for exericsing freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly.
10.04.2017 Belarus shelves amendments to Electoral Code
Absence of any public information regarding previously announced steps to improve the election legislation suggests that the work of state bodies in this direction has been frozen. Despite this, human rights activists involved in independent monitoring of election campaigns and analytical work in the area continue their efforts aimed at bringing the provisions of the Electoral Code and law enforcement practices in line with international standards.
01.02.2017 Aleh Hulak: There will be some changes in the Electoral Code, but grounds for criticism will obviously remain
The interdepartmental working group considered yesterday the recommendations on improving the electoral process in Belarus that were made by the OSCE ODIHR following last year’s parliamentary elections. Priority recommendations submitted by the campaign Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections were also presented at the meeting.
17.01.2017 Priority recommendations on reforming electoral legislation
The civil campaign Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections presents a policy paper on its recommendations aimed at reforming the electoral legislation of Belarus. According to the campaign’s experts, these recommendations are crucial for the conduct of free, fair and democratic elections.
07.09.2016 Reliability and control: ‘Labor collectives’ as election trend
Year after year, state-owned enterprises and institutions have helped provided human resources to form the election commissions, ‘cooperative’ observers and loyal candidates. The tradition rests upon the country’s legislation, which defines a company’s staff (‘labor collective’) as a key actor of the electoral process, a fact opposed by many independent experts as an anachronism of the Soviet past.
05.08.2016 Effective complaint? Unavailable for prisoners
In Belarus, prisoners do not believe in the effectiveness of complaints against the prison authorities. This lack of confidence is reinforced by legislative prerequisites that are analyzed by Pavel Sapelka, expert on penitentiary law. He also describes possible measures that could change the situation.
