News on the topic: human rights defenders
14.01.2014 Vitsebsk human rights activist Piatro Ivanou threatened to be deported to Russia
Vitsebsk human rights activist and military pensioner Piatro Ivanou is threatened with being deported to Russia and demanded to submit an income statement. The department on citizenship and migration of Vitsebsk’s Kastrychnitski police department demands that the human rights activist Piotr Ivanou (in the picture) reported about the living expenses before 20 January. Otherwise they promise to deport him to Russia.
10.01.2014 Brest Regional Court upholds picket ban
The panel of judges on civil cases of the Brest Regional Civil Court upheld the decision of the Biaroza District Court, which upheld the picket ban, issued to human rights defenders Siarhei Rusetski and Tamara Shchapiotkina by the local authorities.
09.01.2014 Presidium of Mahiliou Regional Court reversed the verdict on the case of “Volny Horad”
On December 27, 2013 The Presidium of the Mahiliou Regional Court decided to annul the verdict of the Krychau District Court for June 17, 2013 concerning the claim of Cherykau PMK- 280 to the printed mass media “Volny Horad” and its journalists and terminate the proceedings. Yesterday the journalists received a copy of the verdict by mail.
09.01.2014 Officials see no discrimination of Belarusian language speakers in the legislative process
Human rights activist Valiantsin Stefanovich has received replies from the authorities to his appeal to the Constitutional Court concerning discrimination of Belarusian-speaking citizens – virtually all the laws in the country are adopted in Russian, there is no official translation of legal acts into Belarusian, the other official language of the country. However, the officials don't regard it as discrimination.
01.01.2014 Monitoring report on the results of observation of the action “Stop the Tax” held on 27 December 2013 in Minsk
On 27 December 2013, the second action against imposition of a tax on the car owners from 1 January 2014 was held in Minsk. The call for this action was carried out through social networks. The organizers didn’t apply for the permission to hold this action. There have been cases of threats from the State Automobile Inspection (DAI) – it warned about imposing fines and evacuation of the vehicles of supposed participants of the action as well as about criminal liability for the blocking of transportation arteries.
28.12.2013 Petition by human rights defender makes Brest city executive committee amend restrictions on street events
On December 10, human rights defender Uladzimir Vialichkin addressed Brest city executive committee with a request to eliminate the contradictions contained in the legal acts regulating the procedure for the organization of public events. The petition was caused by the circumstances of preparing a picket dedicated to the 65th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
27.12.2013 Platforma Innovation: There are fewer prisoners in Belarus, but their treatment fails to improve
In their annual monitoring released today, activists of the Platforma Innovation human rights NGO note that there number of inmates held in Belarusian jails has decreased, while their treatment has only improved in a number of places, Radio Liberty reports.
27.12.2013 Monitoring report on the results of observation of the action “Stop the Tax” held on 20 December 2013 in Minsk
On 20 December 2013, an action against imposition of a tax on the car owners was held in Minsk. The call for this action was carried out through social networks. The organizers didn’t ask for the permission to hold this action. There have been cases of threats from the State Automobile Inspection (DAI) – it warned about imposing fines and evacuation of the vehicles of supposed participants of the action.
24.12.2013 Viasna’s website named Champion of Civil Society 2013
An awarding ceremony of the “Champions of Civil Society 2013” Prize was held on December 23 at the Art-Siadziba cultural center in Minsk. The award was founded by the Pro-Democratic NGOs Assembly.
23.12.2013 Valiantsin Stefanovich complains against Prosecutor General’s Office
Last week, Valiantsin Stefanovich, Deputy Chairman of the Human Rights Center "Viasna", received a reply to his appeal to the Prosecutor General’s Office of Belarus, which concerned the introduction of the website spring96.org in the list of restricted access.
20.12.2013 Attempt to detain human rights activist for photographing on Kastrychnitskaya Square
Riot police officers thought a human rights activist was “following them and taking pictures”.
20.12.2013 Observatory condemns censorship of Viasna website
The Observatory has been informed of the continued harassment of the Belarusian Human Rights Centre Viasna.
18.12.2013 Nabeel Rajab wrote to Ales Bialiatski
From Jaw prison in Bahrain, Nabeel Rajab wrote to Ales Bialiatski, FIDH Vice-President, who has been imprisoned for more than 2 years in Belarus.
16.12.2013 Board of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" once again stresses the legitimacy of the organization's activities in Belarus
Deputy Chairman of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" Valiantsin Stefanovich received a reply to his appeal to the Prosecutor General’s Office of Belarus, which concerned the introduction of the website spring96.org in the list of resources with restricted access.
16.12.2013 General Prosecutor's Office explains why spring96.org was blacklisted
Deputy Chairman of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" Valiantsin Stefanovich received a reply to his appeal to the Prosecutor General’s Office, which concerned the introduction of the website www.spring96.org in the list of restricted access resources.
