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 Brest Viasna human rights organization denied registration again

The Brest Viasna human rights organization has been denied state registration for the fourth time, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports quoting local human rights activist and one of Brest Viasna’s leaders Uladzimer Malei. In its official reply, the General Department of Justice of Brest Regional Executive Committee says that the applicants failed to provide a valid duty payment certificate. Mr.Malei says they are going to appeal the decision at Brest Regional Court.

19.10.2009 Capitally convicted person pleas for mercy

On 16 October the lawyer of Vasil Yuzepchuk, sentenced to death penalty for alleged murder of six elderly women, has lodged an appeal for pardon with President Lukashenka. The convict asks to spare his life, due to possible future circumstances that may prove his innocence. In case the verdict is executed, and such circumstances are established, is will not be able to be corrected. Belarusian human rights activists have expressed their concern over the upcoming execution.

16.10.2009 Foreign Ministry ignores conclusions by UN HR Committee

Baranavichy human rights activist Siarhei Housha has received a reply to his inquiry lodged with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, urging the officials to provide explanations for the Ministry’s non-compliance with the recommendations of the UN Human Rights Committee of 27 July 2007, ordering the Belarusian authorities to rehabilitate Mr.Housha’s right to the freedom of association, as one of the founders of the Viasna human rights center, closed down by order of court in 2003.

15.10.2009 Baranavichy: human rights defenders apply to prosecutor’s office

The human rights defenders of Baranavichy seek to stop the disgraceful practice of banning mass actions by the local authorities. Siarhei Housha, Karnei Piatrovich and Viktar Syrytsa prepared an address to the prosecutor’s office of Baranavichy district concerning the ban of a picket to them.

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.

08.10.2009 ‘Our countries are governed by the rule of the gun, not the rule of the law…’

On 6 October the head of the Human Rights Center Viasna Ales Bialiatski and the lawyer Uladzimir Labkovich attended the trial, held on the lawsuit of the president of the Chechen Republic Ahmat Kadyrau for protection of his honor and dignity from the Russian human rights organization Memorial. Bialiatski and Labkovich were present at the trial as observers of the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH).

08.10.2009 Amnesty International calls on Alexander Lukashenka to grant clemency to Vasil Yuzepchuk

Amnesty International has urged the President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenka to grant clemency to a man who may be facing imminent execution.

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.

23.09.2009 Human rights activists call on international community to address ‘political drafts’ issue

A number of Belarusian and foreign human rights activists have issued a statement calling on the international community to address the issue of politically-motivated drafts as a means of harassing Belarusian political and civil activists. The human rights defenders urge international human rights organizations and major politicians ‘to do their best to put an end to the illegal practice and prevent it from turning into a system of pressure and isolation used against the politically active youth of Belarus.’

22.09.2009 Foreign human rights activist refused Belarusian visa

Joanna Kurocz, member of the Civil Rights Defenders international organization, has not been allowed to receive a Belarusian visa, say representatives of an international journalists’ mission, currently on a visit to Belarus. During their stay in Minsk, the journalists have had a number of meetings with representatives of Belarusian mass media, both independent and state-owned ones. They were also invited to a meeting with Deputy Chair of the President’s Administration Natallia Piatkevich. The results of the visit will be reported during a final briefing at the International Education Center on 23 September.

17.09.2009 Mazyr human rights activist Pavel Nazdra fined

Mazyr Town Court has convicted local human rights activist Pavel Nazdra of violating Article 28.5 of the Civil Code and fined him BYR 105,000 for failing to submit information upon request from the local military registration and enlistment office, Radio Racyja reports. The activist did not inform the military department of his new job in July 2009. According to Pavel Nazdra, who has already faced several charges initiated by the military department, he is going to appeal the verdict. The activist says his prosecution may be connected with his political and civil activity.

17.09.2009 Swedish human rights activists: The world must remember victims of flagrant crimes in Belarus

Östgruppen human rights organization issued a statement on the tenth anniversary of disappearance of opponents of Lukashenka’s regime.

“Ten years ago, Viktar Hanchar and Anatol Krasouski were kidnapped and killed in the capital of Belarus. Officially, the guilty persons have not been found so far, but an independent investigation revealed: people from Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s inner circle are most likely responsible for the crimes,” the statement says.