News on the topic: human rights defenders
09.09.2021 Observatory deplores closure of Viasna trial in Homieĺ
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a partnership of FIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), deplores the decision of the court to hold the trial of Viasna activists Leanid Sudalenka, Tatsiana Lasitsa and Maria Tarasenka in a closed session as this modality does not ensure that their right to a fair trial will be respected throughout all the proceedings.
07.09.2021 Human rights defenders to launch international campaign #FreeViasna
Several key Belarusian and international human rights organizations announced plans to launch an international campaign of solidarity entitled #FreeViasna, following a coordination meeting held in Vilnius on September 6-7.
03.09.2021 Judge orders closed hearings on first day of Viasna trial in Homieĺ
The trial of Leanid Sudalenka, Tatsiana Lasitsa and Maryia Tarasenka, Viasna activists in Homieĺ, will be held behind closed doors, the judge ruled soon after the first court session started this morning at the Centraĺny District Court.
26.08.2021 Observatory urges Belarus to release Viasna members ahead of trial in Homieĺ
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a partnership of FIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), has received new information and requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Belarus.
23.08.2021 Trial of Viasna’s Homieĺ members set for September 3
Human rights defender of Viasna Leanid Sudalenka and volunteer Tatsiana Lasitsa have been detained for seven months.
06.08.2021 Viasna’s Andrei Paluda leaves Belarus, describes detention conditions as inhuman
Andrei Paluda, human rights defender of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" and coordinator of the campaign “Human Rights Defenders against the Death Penalty in Belarus”, has left Belarus after detention and imminent criminal charges.
31.07.2021 Office for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities leaders released until trial
Siarhei Drazdouski and Aleh Hrableuski, respectively director and legal advisor of the Office for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, have been released to await their trial under travel restrictions.
29.07.2021 Purge of human rights organizations and other civic groups forces them to go underground or in exile
In July 2021, the Belarusian authorities liquidated or started the liquidation process of more than 80 civic organisations.
26.07.2021 Global letter in solidarity with the Belarusian civil society
161 human rights organisations demand an end to the repression against the Human Rights Center Viasna and all other human rights defenders in Belarus.
26.07.2021 Viasna leaders remain in detention
Ales Bialiatski, chairman of the Human Rights Center “Viasna”, Valiantsin Stefanovich, deputy chairman, and Uladzimir Labkovich remain in pre-trial detention in Minsk, nearly two weeks after they were detained together with eight other members of Viasna.
22.07.2021 Help release Viasna human rights defenders!
Ales Bialiatski, Chairman of the Human Rights Centre Viasna, Viasna’s lawyer Uladzimir Labkovich and his partner Nina Labkovich, as well as the Vice Chairman of Viasna, Valiantsin Stefanovich were transferred to pretrial detention on 17 July.
20.07.2021 ENEMO calls to release Viasna human rights defenders
Statement by the European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations (ENEMO)
19.07.2021 International Accountability Platform for Belarus condemns detention of human rights defenders
IAPB condemns the recent crackdown on civil society and calls for the immediate release of all political detainees and prisoners, who are held in blatant violation of international human rights law.
16.07.2021 Human Rights House and UN representatives condemn new repressions in Belarus
The United Nations Country Team in Belarus (UNCT) issued a statement informing that it has been following with great concern reports of detentions of civil society representatives and searches in the offices of a wide range of civil society organizations, charity projects and private apartments of individual activists.
16.07.2021 Third day of crackdown on journalists and civil society organisations in Belarus
The Human Rights Center "Viasna" continues to collect facts of political persecution across the country on July 16. For the third day in a row, security forces attacked human rights defenders, journalists, activists, and cultural and social activists.
