News on the topic: human rights defenders
28.03.2008 Open letter to the Belarusian authorities
The Human Rights Center “Viasna” and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) issue joint statement demanding to stop persecution of Katsiaryna Salauyova
28.03.2008 Human rights defender demands to prosecute officials responsible for violation of constitutional rights of citizens
Mazyr human rights defender Uladzimer Tseliapun complained to Mazyr district prosecutor’s office about the actions of officials who had violated the constitutional rights of citizens.
06.03.2008 Cost of Domestic Violence in Belarus
On 8 March the Belarusian women are given flowers and listen to congratulations, but during the rest of the year not all of them feel save even at home. What is the cost of the economic damage from domestic violence?
05.03.2008 Search in Babruisk
In the afternoon on 5 March the local police inspector, a representative of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and an unknown person in mufti paid a visit to the private house of the human rights activist Ihar Khodzka. Besides, Khodzka, at that time in the house there were several youngsters, including the leader of Babruisk branch of the BPF Youth Siarzhuk Latsinski.
19.02.2008 FIDH and Viasna: Open Letter to Belarusian Authorities on Harassment against Zhaleznichenka
Minsk-Paris, 15 February 2008 – The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the Human Rights Center “Viasna” express their deep concern about the Belarusian authorities’ repeated harassment against the youth activist Dmitry Zheleznichenko.
14.02.2008 Suit of Belarusian Helsinki to Soviet of Ministers Turned down again
The college board of the Supreme Economic Court confirmed its earlier ruling by which the Belarusian Helsinki Committee against the Soviet of Ministers had been turned down.
11.02.2008 Human Rights Center 'Viasna' Nominates Zmitser Zhaleznichenka for Student Peace Prize
Human Rights Center Viasna initiated the nomination of the Belarusian student Zmitser Zhaleznichenka for Student Peace Prize.
11.02.2008 Human Rights Activists and Members of BPF Party Prohibited to Meet with Zhaleznichenka
On Sunday, 10 February, the human rights activists from Homel and Rechytsa and members of the Belarusian People’s Front Party from Zhlobin came to military units 83469 where Zmitser Zhaleznichenka is being illegally kept. The duty soldier refused to let them meet with the activist, referring to a recently introduced quarantine.
11.02.2008 Amnesty International and Belarusian Helsinki Committee Condemn Executions of Convicts in Belarus
On 5 February 5 the Supreme Court of Belarus announced that Siarhei Marozau, the leader of a Homel-based criminal gang, and his close associates, Valery Harbaty and Ihar Danchanka, had been executed by shooting. The three were sentenced to death by shooting in a months-long trial that came to an end on 1 December 2006. The so-called Marozau Gang, which was said to have terrorized the Homel region between 1990 and 2004, was accused of 16 murders.
09.01.2008 Political Repressions in Belarus in 2007
During the last year Belarusian human rights activists carefully collected information about different forms of repressions that were used by the authorities for political persecution of public and political activists. Today the Belarusian version of www.spring96.org presents an important result of their work – the list of the citizens who underwent administrative persecution in 2007. Soon the website will also be updated with information about criminal cases against political opponents and other kinds of persecution.
14.12.2007 Norwegian PEN-center and IPA: Freedom of Expression Is Violated in Belarus
During the last two years the government of Belarus did not improve the situation of the freedom of expression and continued pressurizing journalists and writers. This is the opinion presented in the report of representatives of the Norwegian PEN-center and the International Publishers’ Association on the results of their visits to Belarus in November 2007.
13.12.2007 Human Rights Activists Remind Navumau about Political Prisoners
On 13 December a group of human rights activists consisting of the deputy chair of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) Ales Bialiatski, the human rights activists Alena Laptsionak, Valiantsin Stefanovich and Siarzhuk Sys passed to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus (MIA) thousands of origami cranes which had been prepared by the international human rights organization Amnesty International for liberation of the political prisoner Zmitser Dashkevich.
12.12.2007 Brest: Unknown Persons again Damage Automobile of Human Rights Activist Vialichkin
The citizen of Brest Uladzimir Vialichkin parks his Nissan near the multistoried building where he lives. All paid garages and car parks are far away. A police car has always stood near the house, that’s why the human rights activist thought that there was no need to be afraid for his car.
11.12.2007 Prisoner Nikolay Kostyshev Announces REPEATED Hunger-strike in Minsk Jail #1
According to the relatives of the citizen of Russian Federation, prisoner Nikolay Kostyshev, on 25 October 2007 he had to announce a REPEATED hunger-strike, because for two days already he cannot get justified, despite the numerous violations of the Belarusian laws during the investigation and his innocence. Though Kostyshev announced a hunger-strike before and sent a number of addresses to the prosecutor’s office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, he received no answers.
11.12.2007 National Human Rights Award’2007
The organizing committee of the Charter’97 press-center has nominated candidates of the National Human Rights Award in 2007. This award was founded by the Charter’97 civil initiative in 1998.
