News on the topic: human rights defenders
26.07.2012 Human rights activists urge Supreme Court and Prosecutor General's Office to discuss situation with illegal preventive detentions of civil society activists
Representatives of a number of leading human rights organizations of Belarus – Belarusian Helsinki Committee, Human Rights Center "Viasna", Committee for the Protection of the Repressed "Solidarity", the Centre for Legal Transformation and the Center for Human Rights – have sent a joint appeal to the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Belarus Aliaksandr Kaniuk and Chairman of the Supreme Court of Belarus Valiantsin Sukala requesting a meeting to discuss the situation with illegal preventive detentions of civil society activists and representatives of youth opposition groups, in order to put an end to this illegal practice and bring the perpetrators to justice.
23.07.2012 Civil activists launch campaign to declare August 4 International Day of Solidarity with Belarusian civil society and human rights movement
A number of civil activists and human rights defenders of Russia and several other countries have launched an online campaign to mark August 4, the day when Viasna leader and FIDH vice-president Ales Bialiatski was arrested in 2011, International Day of Solidarity with the civil society and human rights movement of Belarus.
20.07.2012 Minsk court turns down HR defenders’ complaints against foreign travel ban
Minsk Tsentralny District Court has dismissed the complaints lodged by human rights defenders Valiantsin Stefanovich and Andrei Bandarenka against foreign travel restrictions imposed on them for alleged draft evasion.
20.07.2012 Consideration of Aleh Hulak’s travel ban appeal delayed again
The consideration of a complaint lodged by the Belarusian Helsinki Committee leader Aleh Hulak against foreign travel restrictions has been postponed till 31 July, after the human rights defender presented a number of supplementary papers dealing with the case.
18.07.2012 Belarus: convicted, imprisoned, silenced
How does the EU deal with these overblown dictators?
18.07.2012 Supreme Court turns down Stefanovich’s travel ban appeal
The Supreme Court of Belarus has dismissed a complaint lodged by human rights defender Valiantsin Stefanovich against Judge Alena Siamak of Minsk Tsentralny District Court, who has evaded considering his appeal against foreign travel restrictions for nearly four months.
16.07.2012 Ministry of Internal Affairs ignores trial over “travel banned” Hulak
Trial over a complaint of human rights activist Aleh Hulak was postponed until July 20.
On July 16, the court of the Tsentralny district of Minsk began to hear a complaint over imposing a travel ban on head of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee (BHC) Aleh Hulak.
12.07.2012 Minsk City Court considers Bialiatski's appeal against a new fine
On12 April the Minsk City Court considers the appeal of the imprisoned head of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” Ales Bialiatski against the verdict of the Pershamaiski District Court of Minsk according to which he was sentenced to pay 140 million rubles of fine for an untimely payment of taxes.
10.07.2012 Ministry of Internal Affairs and Ministry of Information point at each other in case of Roma discrimination
Members of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee Maryia Bahdanovich and Ales Yauseyenka have received an answer from the Ministry of Internal Affairs towards their application concerning discriminative statements in the press about Roma nationals.
09.07.2012 Kirghiz human rights defenders remind Belarusian diplomats about Ales Bialiatski’s case
Talekan Ismailova, the head of the human rights center “Citizens against Corruption” told about the impressions of Kirghiz human rights defenders who tried to attend the official diplomatic on the occasion of the celebration of the official Independence Day by Belarus. The human rights defenders demanded an unconditional and immediate release of the head of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” and deputy-head of the International Federation for Human Rights Ales Bialiatski.
09.07.2012 Cases of foreign travel restricted Hulak and Liabedzka to be considered on 16 and 17 July
The appeal of the head of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee Aleh Hulak against the actions of the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, as a result of which he has been unlawfully put on a list of persons subject to temporary foreign travel restrictions, will be considered at 11 a.m. on 16 July at the Tsentralny District Court of Minsk.
04.07.2012 Valiantsin Stefanovich’s lawsuit to be considered on 16 July
Human rights defender Valiantsin Stefanovich has finally received a summons to court. The case will be considered by Judge Alena Siamak – she protracted the appointment of the trial for more than four months, though the legal term for considering lawsuits is just one month.
04.07.2012 Action in support of Belarusian human rights defenders held in Berlin
On 19 June the Berlin branch of the human rights organization “Amnesty International” held a picket in support of Belarusian human rights defenders and opposition activists.
29.06.2012 A message from Aung San Suu Kyi to political prisoners
"I would like to say to prisoners of conscience all over the world: Hold fast to your convictions! Respect for humanity starts with respect for one's self. My message to you is very simple: if you respect yourself, do not forsake your struggle. And don't think that you are alone. In Burma, we often thought that we had been abandoned. And I didn't realize how wrong we were until this trip to Europe."
29.06.2012 Legal Transformation Centre celebrates 16th anniversary
Human rights defenders have invited civil activists, journalists and bloggers in connection with it.