The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

01.12.2011 Bialiatski's lawyer files appeal against court verdict

On 29 November lawyer Dzmitry Layeuski filed an appeal against the verdict of the Pershamaiski District Court of Minsk to human rights defender Ales Bialiatski with the Minsk City Court.

01.12.2011 Orsha: human rights defenders appeal against picket ban

Orsha-based human rights defenders Vasil Berasneu and Vasil Leuchankau filed appeals with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Vitsebsk Regional Procuracy. They state that their freedom of expression, guaranteed by Article 35 of the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus, was violated by the picket ban issued by the the Orsha City Executive Committee.

01.12.2011 KGB breaks unlawfully confiscated appliances

Human rights activist Ales Kaputski was returned his equipment seized during a search on 25 December 2010, in connection with a criminal case over “mass disorders”.

28.11.2011 Observatory's urgent appeal on arrest and subsequent release of Mr. Andrei Paluda, and confiscation of his material

The Observatory has been informed by reliable sources of the arrest of Mr. Andrei Paluda, a human rights defender from Belarus, and the confiscation of his material.

28.11.2011 Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders condemns ongoing judicial harassment against Mr. Valiantsin Stefanovich

The Observatory has been informed by reliable sources of a new hearing planned for December 2, 2011 against Mr. Valiantsin Stefanovich, Vice-Chairman of the Human Rights Centre “Viasna”.

23.11.2011 Valyantsin Stefanovich has two trials scheduled for December 2

Both trials will be held in the Partyzanski district court of Minsk.

23.11.2011 Customs officials seize election observation editions

Ten copies of the 2010 presidential election observation results were seized by customs officials from human rights defender Andrei Paluda as he was crossing the Belarusian border last night.

18.11.2011 Stefanovich tax trial to start on 2 December

The civil charges brought against Viasna deputy chair Valiantsin Stefanovich for alleged tax violations will be heard by Minsk Partyzanski District Court on 2 December.

17.11.2011 Brest court upholds verdict to local human rights defender

On 17 November, Brest Regional Court dismissed an appeal by local human rights defender Raman Kisliak against a BYR 350,000 fine for staging a picket of solidarity with the imprisoned Viasna leader Ales Bialiatski on 16 October.

17.11.2011 Artak Kirokasyan: This is a trial of the entire independent civil society sector in Belarus

FIDH Secretary General and Chairman of the Civil Society Institute (Armenia) Artak Kirakosyan, who has been closely following the trial of FIDH Vice-President Ales Bialiatski, has commented on the “new charges” that were brought against the Belarusian human rights defender on 16 November.

15.11.2011 “The honorable guest is unable to attend the Politiken Freedom Prize awarding ceremony”

This was repeated again and again during the ceremony in Copenhagen on 14 November, at which the Danish edition Politiken awarded its Freedom Prize to Ales Bialiatski and the Human Rights Center “Viasna”, headed by him. A poster with a graphic portrait of Ales Bialiatski hung on the wall to symbolize the symbolic presence of the prize-holder.

15.11.2011 Report about torture in Belarus heard at UN

Andrei Bandarenka, a former political prisoner, leader of “Platforma”, has addressed the UN Human Rights Committee with a report about tortures in Belarusian prisons.

Uladzimir Labkovich: “Bialiatski’s case started with a warning, issued to him by General Procuracy for activities on behalf of an unregistered organization”

14.11.2011 Uladzimir Labkovich: “Bialiatski’s case started with a warning, issued to him by General Procuracy for activities on behalf of an unregistered organization”

On 15 October the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission) produced a special report "On the conformity with the universal human rights standards of Article 193-1 of the Criminal Code on the rights of non-registered associations of the Republic of Belarus”. The uniqueness of this instrument lies in the fact that it was the first time when this authoritative legal commission considered only one article in a country’s law.

11.11.2011 ARTICLE 19, Index on Censorship and English PEN: charges against Bialiatski are politically motivated

ARTICLE 19, Index on Censorship and English PEN consider the charges brought against Ales Bialiatski politically motivated and initiated to paralyse the activities of the already decimated human rights community in Belarus.