News on the topic: human rights defenders
23.03.2011 Rechytsa human rights defender harassed ahead of 25 March
On 22 March, Rechytsa human rights defender Valery Putsitski received a written warning of possible prosecution for involvement in unauthorized events during the forthcoming 25 March Freedom Day celebrations.
21.03.2011 Brest human rights defender makes local detention center employ female staff
Brest human rights defender Raman Kisliak received a reply from Leninski District Police Department, confirming the presence of female employees on staff of the local detention center, following a complaint by local resident Inha Abramava submitted to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.
21.03.2011 Maladechna human rights defender to be inspected by tax department
On 21 March, Maladechna human rights defender Ales Kaputski was summoned to local tax inspection. The activists say the possible inspection is caused by his civil activity.
21.03.2011 Ales Bialiatski’s appeal put in inspection file on Mikhalevich’s torture report
On 17 March, spokesman of the General Prosecutor’s Office told the media that the prosecuting authorities were inspecting the allegations of torture reported by former presidential candidate Ales Mikhalevich and a number of other KGB prisoners.
18.03.2011 Ales Bialiatski visiting Tunisia as international expert in transition to democracy conference
On 17-19 March the Tunisia capital hosted an international conference “Transition to Democracy in Tunisia”, visited by representatives of the country’s civil society, trade unions and mass media, as well as a number of international experts, including Vice-President of the International Federation for Human Rights Ales Bialiatski.
17.03.2011 Russian HR defender Yurov to appeal his persona non grata status
Andrei Yurov, Head of the International Observation Mission of the Committee on International Control over the Situation with Human Rights in Belarus, is going to appeal his persona non grata status in Belarus.
16.03.2011 Information about tortures to be checked by Military Prosecutor Office
The General Prosecutor’s Office has sent the appeal lodged by human rights defender Ales Bialiatski there. It is connected with the fact Ales Mihalevich made public.
16.03.2011 Valiantsin Stefanovich seeks recovery of property seized during KGB search
Human rights defenders Ales Bialiatski, Valiantsin Stefanovich and Uladzimir Labkovich have received official replies to their earlier complaints concerning the property seized by the KGB during a search at Mr. Bialiatski’s apartment back on 20 December.
15.03.2011 Human Rights Chronicle: Belarusian Helsinki Committee and Viasna to cover situation of human rights in Belarus together
The human rights situation in Belarus has deteriorated considerably after the presidential election of 2010. Human rights defenders registered a sharp increase in politically motivated repression and many cases of violation and restriction of fundamental rights and freedoms within the three post-election months.
14.03.2011 Human rights defender Viktar Sazonau detained on the border
The car with a Hrodna human rights defender, Viktar Sazonau, was detained in the morning at the border crossing point Berastavitsa-Babrouniki, on the way to Poland.
14.03.2011 Court dismisses appeal of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee
On 12 March the Supreme Court of the Republic of Belarus dismissed the appeal of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee against the warning that had been issued to the organization by the Ministry of Justice on 12 January, after the human rights defenders informed Gabriela Knaul, UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers about pressurization of the lawyers who defended figurants of the 19 December mass riot case.
09.03.2011 Gabriela Knaul, UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, was informed about persecution of counsel Sapelka
On 4 March a new report of harassment of lawyers in Belarus was submitted to Gabriela Knaul, the UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers.
09.03.2011 Expulsion of counsel Pavel Sapelka from the Minsk City Bar Association: opinions of human rights defenders
'It is an unprecedented case of pressurization of counsels. I think that reprisals are used against independent lawyers on any grounds. Actually, an end is put to the independent advocacy by this. The case of Pavel Sapelka is a clear signal to all other counsels who take part in the case concerning the events of 19 December and other politically motivated cases, and in any cases in general. It is a warning to all counsels of the country. All trials concerning the events of 19 December become a complete fiction since then. They turn into a tragic show organized by the authorities to lynch their opponents.
04.03.2011 International pressure on Belarusian authorities increases
Today, on 4 March, Vice-President of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Chair of the Human Rights Center Viasna Ales Bialiatski is present at the session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
01.03.2011 Will Ryhor Vasilevich accept Ales Bialiatski’s proposal?
Ales Bialiatski, Chair of the Human Rights Center Viasna, vice-president of the International Federation of Human Rights Ryhor Vasilevich to cancel the warning issued to him by the General Procuracy on 16 February. Human rights activist reminds to the Prosecutor General about the elimination of the official registration of Viasna, which, in his opinion, was connected with the active monitoring of the presidential elections in 2001. This step of the authorities had been declared unlawful by the UN: the Human Rights Committee of this influential organization stated that it was a violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights by the Belarusian authorities.
