News on the topic: Viasna
16.11.2009 Death penalty: news in Vasil Yuzepchuk’s case
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs answered the address of human rights defenders concerning the registration of the death convict Vasil Yuzepchuk’s communication by the UN Human Rights Committee.
12.11.2009 MFA advises Siarhei Housha to address local court organs for implementation of opinion of UN Human Rights Committee
Finally the human rights defender from Baranavichy Siarhei Housha got an answer to his inquiries to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus about who must implement the decisions of the UN Human Rights Committee.
28.10.2009 Viasna issues statement on death sentences to Vasil Yuzepchuk and Andrei Zhuk
The Supreme Court of the Republic of Belarus has considered the appeals by Vasil Yuzepchuk (against the verdict by Brest Regional Court of 29 June 2009) and Andrei Zhuk (against the verdict by Minsk Regional Court of 29 June 2009) and resolved to uphold the decisions, thereby legalizing both the sentences. Belarusian human rights activists have expressed their deep concern over the possible execution of the death penalties. According to the convicts’ legal advisors, the verdict by Brest Regional Court was based on conjectures, resulting from evidence by the police, with no direct proofs at all. Mr. Yuzepchuk was reportedly beaten while in pre-trial prison and the traumas were registered. Apart from that, according to a report by a board of experts, the convict has a light mental deficiency. Therefore, the human rights activists have a strong doubt that the death penalty is too severe and groundless punishment. There are several extenuating circumstances: Andrei Zhuk admitted his guilt, cooperated with the investigators and repented of the offence.
23.10.2009 Amendments to Electoral Code turn lipstick
On 20 October during a meeting with President Lukashenka, head of the Central Electoral Committee Mrs. Lidziya Yarmoshyna spoke on the changes to be introduced to the Belarusian electoral legislation. Political parties, whose member wants to run in the election, will not have to possess a regional office within the territory of the respective constituency. Besides, signature sheets will not have to be approved by local authorities before their submission to the Central Electoral Committee. Grounds for denying registration to a candidate will also be reviewed. Apart from that, voter turnout quota will be lifted in the upcoming local elections. However, the quota for presidential and parliamentary elections will be preserved.
23.10.2009 Human rights activist keeps reminding Foreign Ministry about its commitments
Baranavichy human rights activist Siarhei Housha has lodged a repeated complaint with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, voicing his opposition to the Ministry’s reply, which named the Optional Protocol as ‘not having a binding effect’ for the parties to the Treaty to implement the conclusions by the UN Human Rights Committee. In his complaint, the human rights activist stresses that the conclusions by the Committee ARE binding, which is stated in Article 61 of the Belarusian Constitution, securing everyone’s right, under international legal acts, ratified by Belarus, to address international organizations to protect one’s rights and freedoms, in case he or she is unable to find rehabilitation within the national legal system. According to the universal international law, a country which is a party to an international treaty must implement its provisions, which is enshrined in the Vienna Convention, to which Belarus is a party.
22.10.2009 Viasna presents analytical survey on political prisoners
On 21 October the Belarusian Popular Front office in Minsk hosted the presentation of a book ‘Political Prisoners: politically-motivated criminal sentences in 2008’, compiled with assistance by the Human Rights Center Viasna. The edition covers the events of 2008, pertaining to the existence of political prisoners, which still attract much public attention. The book is meant to highlight the facts of numerous and continuous politically-motivated harassment, practiced by the Belarusian authorities despite demands by international democratic structures. Meanwhile, the release of all the Belarusian political prisoners remains one of the basic conditions within the EU-Belarus dialogue.
15.10.2009 ‘Santa Clauses’ surrender to prosecutor’s office on grounds of Article 193.1
Members of the liquidated Human Rights Center Viasna were among those who took part in the procession of Santa Clauses to the office of the prosecutor general of Belarus. By this unusual representatives of many unregistered civil associations wanted to remind the authorities about Article 193.1 of the Criminal Code that envisages criminal persecution for activities on behalf of unregistered organizations.
13.10.2009 Information on torture of participants of peaceful actions passed to international organizations
The Human Rights Center Viasna collected information about the facts of tortures and inhuman treatment of the detained participants of the peaceful actions held on 9 and 16 September 2009. The lawyers also prepared 6 complaints to the Tsentralny district prosecutor’s office of Minsk against the unlawful police actions and questioned some eyewitnesses of the tortures.
12.10.2009 Human rights defenders remind about problem of death penalty in Belarus (photos)
On 10 October, the World Day against the Death Penalty, representatives of human rights organizations reminded the public about the problem of the death penalty in Belarus. As it was discovered as a result of talks with passers-by, some of them even did not know such kind of penalty existed in Belarus while the death verdicts continued to be issued in the country.
12.10.2009 Awards were given to winners of contest of competition of creative works on death penalty
The names of the winners of the competition of creative works within the framework of the campaign Human Rights Defenders against Death Penalty in Belarus were called on 10 October, on the World Day against the Death Penalty.
09.10.2009 Complaint about violation of death convict Vasil Yuzepchuk’s rights submitted to UN Human Rights Committee
On 9 October, on the eve of the World Day against the Death Penalty, the UN Human Rights Committee confirmed receiving the individual address of Vasil Yuzepchuk, who on 28 June 2009 was sentenced by Brest oblast court to death with property confiscation.
07.10.2009 Valiantsin Stefanovich: situation of human rights during the last six months leads to deplorable conclusions
Recently mass media have started publishing the statements by some European officials about the positive tendencies and the political liberalization in our country. In particular, at the beginning of this week Jose Manuel Pinto Teixeira, Head of the European Commission Representation in Ukraine and Belarus, talked about ‘a certain progress’ on the democratization of Belarus. How do the Belarusian human rights activists evaluate the situation in the country on the eve of the consideration of renewal of the sanctions of the EU towards the official Minsk? You can learn about it from our interview with the representative of the Human Rights Center Viasna Valiantsin Stefanovich.
30.09.2009 Article 193-1 may be repealed, says Ministry of Justice
The Belarusian Ministry of Justice says the infamous Article 193-1 of the Criminal Code (illegal NGO membership) may soon be repealed. The statement was made at the OSCE annual Human Dimension Meeting in Warsaw, Poland. Representatives of Belarusian NGOs have presented their reports on the situation in the field of freedom of association in Belarus, including the application of Article 193-1 as a means of harassing members of unregistered NGOs. Valiantsin Stefanovich, lawyer of the Human Rights Center Viasna, spoke on Nasha Viasna’s registration trial at the Supreme Court on 10-12 August 2009.
24.09.2009 FIDH issues report on Viasna's registration trial
The International Federation for Human Rights has issued a report based on the organization's observation in the case of Human Rights Association Nasha Viasna versus the Ministry of Justice that was considered by the Supreme Court on 10-12 August 2009.
24.09.2009 Viasna to collect torture facts
Human Rights Center Viasna is compiling a database of tortures and other kinds of inhumane treatment used against people arrested during peaceful demonstrations, says Viasna’s lawyer Valiantsin Stefanovich. The human rights expert is sure that this must be done regardless of the probability of prosecuting those responsible for the offences. ‘We are now drawing up a complaint to be lodged with the Prosecutor’s Office, urging the officials to initiate criminal prosecution of policemen, abusing their authority. We consider the facts of beating detainees in police wagons as torture. The actions being cynically demonstrative and used systematically, we also decided to apply the Geneva-based World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), so that it could address the issue by drawing the attention of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Besides, the OMCT has good contacts with the UN Committee against Torture, which is essential to the problem, since Belarus ratified the CONVENTION AGAINST TORTURE and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and, therefore, must show its commitment to the provisions of the treaty,’ said Mr.Stefanovich.
