News on the topic: human rights defenders
04.01.2010 Biaroza: human rights activists sue district authorities
Biaroza human rights defenders have received summons to the court in the capacity of plaintiffs. The defendant is Biaroza district executive committee who prohibited the activists to hold a picket on 10 December, the Human Rights Day.
22.12.2009 Snow Maidens attempt to file petition with Parliament
A number of human rights activists wearing the costumes of Snow Maidens and New Year hares have tried to file a petition with the Belarusian Parliament urging the officials to abolish Article 193-1 of the Criminal Code. The performance was aimed at drawing attention to criminal prosecution for illegal NGO membership after the Parliament members went into recess without even considering the issue, despite numerous statements on possible annulment of the infamous Article.
21.12.2009 Baranavichy human rights activists lodge complaint with local prosecutor’s office
A number of Baranavichy human rights activists – S.Housha, V.Syrytsa and V.Bolbat – have lodged a complaint with the local prosecutor’s office against the town authorities, who failed to respond in due time to the activists’ application for holding a picket on the International Human Rights Day.
16.12.2009 Hary Pahaniayla: ‘The state cannot be forced to commit murders itself’
Hary Pahaniayla, lawyer of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, expressed his view against the death penalty, in the framework of the campaign ‘Human Rights Activists against the Death Penalty in Belarus.’
15.12.2009 Brest: the only human rights rally in Belarus on Human Rights Day
In Belarus the only rally dated to the 61st anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Human Rights Day was sanctioned in Brest, at the Locomotive stadium that has been determined by Brest authorities as the only place for the opposition’s mass actions.
10.12.2009 Information action in Rechytsa
On 10 December in Rechytsa the local civil and political activists handed out about 1,500 copies of the bulletin Rechytskia Ahliad dedicated to the 61st anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. As said by the human rights defender Valer Putsitski, the police did not interfere with the action and citizens treated the action positively.
10.12.2009 Human rights defenders pass petition to authorities
On the International Human Rights Day representatives of the Belarusian human rights community passed to the Presidential Administration a petition calling to abolish the death penalty as a kind of punishment that contradicts to the right to life guaranteed by the Constitution and international human rights treaties.
10.12.2009 Human rights defenders congratulate Minsk citizens on Human Rights Day
On 10 December in Minsk civil activists and representatives of different human rights organizations congratulated the people on the International Human Rights Day.
10.12.2009 Celebration of Human Rights Day is virtually banned by Belarusian authorities
Human rights are prohibited to hold pickets or any other actions on the World Day of Human Rights, 10 December.
10.12.2009 Human Rights Alliance announced names of its prizeholders
On 9 December in Minsk the civil initiative Human Rights Alliance announced the names of the holders of its yearly prize for human rights protection. The festive event was attended by about 50 people including journalists, politicians and civil activists.
09.12.2009 61st Anniversary of Universal Declaration of Human Rights shows: we should protect our rights everywhere and always
Our country has undertaken before the whole word to respect, protect and guarantee human rights. To which extent these international undertakings are implemented? Let’s focus on one of the most important stances of the Declaration set out in Article 3: ‘Everyone has the right to life, freedom and security of person’.
09.12.2009 Hrodna: another human rights picket banned
On 9 December the human rights defender Viktar Sazonau applied to Hrodna city executive committee as he didn’t receive an answer to his application for picket within the legal terms.
08.12.2009 Delegation of human rights defenders in Geneva
The head of the Human Rights Center Viasna Ales Bialiatski, the deputy head of Viasna Valiantsin Stefanovich and the head of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee Aleh Hulak have come to Zheneva within the frames of preparation to presentation at the UN Human Rights Council of the Universal Periodical Report on Belarus.
08.12.2009 Why do authorities fear pickets on anniversary of Universal Declaration of Human Rights?
These days Belarusian human rights defenders have received about ten denials in authorization of the pickets they intended to hold for marking the 61st anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
08.12.2009 Homel: human rights defenders sue city administration
Homel human rights defenders Leanid Sudalenka and Anatol Paplauny filed a lawsuit to the Tsentralny district court of Homel against the numerous refusals of Homel city executive committee to authorize the meetings, pickets and other mass events that were organized by them, after the authorities banned to them a picket dedicated to the 61st anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
