News on the topic: political prisoners
28.09.2020 Members of the Swiss National Council and the German Bundestag adopt Uladzimir Niaronski, Andrei Pazniak and Aleh Rubets
As part of the solidarity campaign #WeStandBYyou of Libereco – Partnership for Human Rights, Nik Gugger (National Council, EVP), Ottmar von Holtz (Bundestag, Bündnis90 / Die Grünen) and Dirk Wiese (Bundestag, SPD) take over a godparenthood for political prisoners in Belarus and demand their immediate and unconditional release.
27.09.2020 Marfa Rabkova faces formal charges
Viasna activist Marfa Rabkova has been officially charged under Part 3, Art. 293 of the Criminal Code (training or other preparation of persons for participation in mass riots, or financing of such activities). She remains in custody in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Minsk.
25.09.2020 UN human rights experts: Belarus must release opposition leader Maria Kalesnikava
UN human rights experts today called on Belarus to release prominent opposition leader Maria Kalesnikava, and to bring to justice those responsible for her enforced disappearance.
25.09.2020 HRDs demand immediate release of political prisoner Stsiapan Latypau
Joint statement by the Belarusian human rights community
25.09.2020 Urgent action by Amnesty International: Release human rights defender Marfa Rabkova
Woman human rights defender Marfa Rabkova was detained as a criminal suspect under false pretext on the evening of 17 September, by officers of the Interior Ministry’s Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption (GUBAZIK). Her husband Vadzim Zharomski was also detained but released shortly after. Marfa Rabkova may face criminal charges. She is a prisoner of conscience, targeted solely for her peaceful human rights work and must be immediately and unconditionally released.
24.09.2020 Amnesty International calls to release prisoner of conscience Maryia Kalesnikava
Belarusian authorities abducted opposition leader Maryia Kalesnikava on 7 September. After she resisted expulsion from Belarus she was detained and, on 16 September, charged with “undermining national security”. The authorities are rushing her prosecution to make it a precedent and serve as a warning to all peaceful protesters, for whom she has become a symbol of resistance, dignity and courage. Maryia Kalesnikava is a prisoner of conscience and must be released immediately and unconditionally.
23.09.2020 German, Polish and Swiss MPs take over godparenthood for Liliya Ulasava, Illia Salei, Vital and Yahor Prakapchuk
Members of the European Parliament Katarina Barley (Germany) and Robert Biedron (Poland) and Members of the Swiss National Council Marianne Streiff-Feller and Lilian Studer have taken over godparenthood for political prisoners in Belarus as part Libereco’s solidarity campaign #WeStandBYyou.
22.09.2020 Over 250 criminal cases opened since launch of election
Since the announcement of the presidential election in early May, the authorities have opened over 250 criminal cases targeting presidential candidates, members of their campaign teams, and peaceful protesters. Viasna knows the names of 200 persons affected by these cases.
21.09.2020 Front Line Defenders urges Belarus to release Marfa Rabkova
Front Line Defenders is deeply concerned by the detention of Marfa (Maria) Rabkova as well as the harassment of her husband Vadzim Zharomski.
21.09.2020 Viasna activist Marfa Rabkova is political prisoner
Joint statement of the Belarusian human rights community
21.09.2020 MPs from Poland and Germany take over prisoners’ godparenthood for Andrei Novikau, Uladzimir Tsyhanovich and Dzmitry Kazlou
As part of Libereco’s solidarity campaign #WeStandBYyou, Tomasz Frankowski (European Parliament, Poland), Franziska Brantner (German Bundestag) and Niklas Nienaß (European Parliament, Germany) have taken over godparenthood for political prisoners in Belarus.
19.09.2020 Arrested lawyer Maksim Znak declares hunger strike to protest criminal charges
Maksim Znak, lawyer and member of the presidium of the Coordination Council, has been officially charged under Part 3 of Art. 361 (calls for actions aimed at harming the national security of the Republic of Belarus) of the Criminal Code. In an act of protest, the arrested lawyer went on a hunger strike, according to his counsel Dzmitry Layeuski.
17.09.2020 12 more persons called political prisoners over "rioting" charges
Joint statement by the human rights organizations of Belarus
17.09.2020 Maryia Kalesnikava faces formal charges
Maryia Kalesnikava, member of the presidium of the Coordination Council and former campaign manager of presidential nominee Viktar Babaryka, has been officially charged under Part 3 of Art. 361 of the Criminal Code (calls for actions aimed at harming the national security of the Republic of Belarus committed with the use of the media and the Internet).
15.09.2020 Three more German MPs take over godparenthood for Belarusian political prisoners
As part of the solidarity campaign #WeStandBYyou of Libereco – Partnership for Human Rights, three more MPs have taken over a godparenthood for political prisoners in Belarus. Aydan Özoguz (German Bundestag, SPD) Sergey Lagodinsky (European Parliament, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) und Claudia Müller (German Bundestag, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) call for their immediate and unconditional release.
