News on the topic: political prisoners
27.05.2015 Marieluise Beck, Member of German Bundestag demands: “Freedom for Ihar Alinevich!”
On the occasion of the fourth anniversary of the conviction of Ihar Alinevich, sentenced to 8 years in prison on 27 May 2011, Marieluise Beck, Speaker on Eastern European Politics of the Green Party Parliamentary Group in the German Bundestag and Prisoner’s Godparent for Ihar Alinevich, released a statement to demand his immediate release.
27.05.2015 Political prisoner Mikalai Dziadok gets 4 penalties in 2 weeks, twice put in penal cell
According to Valeryia Khotsina, wife of political prisoner Mikalai Dziadok, on May 12 he was transferred to a new place of imprisonment – colony No. 9 in Horki. The following day, May 13, he was placed in solitary confinement, where he spent 5 days.
26.05.2015 Infographics: Political prisoners in Belarus
Today, Belarusian prisons hold six political prisoners.
26.05.2015 Four years since Mikalai Statkevich was sentenced
Statement by Franz Thoennes (Social Democratic Party of Germany), Vice-Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the German Bundestag
22.05.2015 Brest authorities confirm ban on picket of solidarity with political prisoners
Human rights defenders in Biaroza have received a reply from the Brest Regional Executive Committee signed by the deputy chairman Leanid Tsupryk. The letter concerned an earlier decision of the Biaroza executive committee to ban a picket scheduled for March 9.
21.05.2015 Riga summit: Human rights defenders urge to release all political prisoners
The participants of the Civil Society Forum held in Riga as part of the Eastern Partnership summit have demanded to release all political prisoners in the EaP member states without delay, euroradio.fm reports.
20.05.2015 Political prisoner Yury Rubtsou to stand trial on May 27
The trial of a political prisoner Yury Rubtsou will be held on 27 May in the court of the Pružany district. The criminal charges under Article 415 of the Criminal Code (“evasion of serving punishment of restraint of liberty”) will be heard by Judge Mikalai Repikha. The political prisoner faces up to three years of imprisonment.
18.05.2015 Mikalai Statkevich: "I do not aspire to be a hero, but I want to be a decent man”
On May 16, Bialyničy journalist Barys Vyrvich received a letter from political prisoner Mikalai Statkevich who is held in the Mahilioŭ-based prison No. 4. In his letter, the former presidential candidate told about the conditions of his detention at the new place of imprisonment.
18.05.2015 Sign the petition: Freedom for political prisoners in Belarus!
The Belarusian Human Rights Center Viasna, the Swiss-German association Libereco – Partnership for Human Rights and the independent watchdog organization Freedom House have launched a joint online petition to demand the release of all political prisoners from Belarusian president Lukashenka.
15.05.2015 Biaroza human rights activists intend to hold a picket demanding release of political prisoners
Biaroza human rights activists have filed an application for a picket on June 28 at the officially designated site, the city stadium, near the entrance from Lenin Street.
14.05.2015 Mikalai Statkevich’s wife received first letter from Mahilyou prison
Maryna Adamovich, the wife of the political prisoner and a former candidate for presidency, has received the first letter from Mahilioŭ prison №4.
14.05.2015 Lawyer Pavel Sapelka: State has replaced the system of parole with giveaway amnesties
May 13 The House of Representatives of the National Assembly adopted in the first and second reading a bill on amnesty in connection with the 70th anniversary of the Victory. According to the Minister of Internal Affairs Ihar Shunevich if the amnesty law comes into force, it will concern some 8,600 convicts, 2.2 thousand which will be released from prison. Will there be political prisoners among them?
13.05.2015 Yury Rubtsou continues hunger strike and prepares for trial
Despite all persuasions of medics, Yury Rubtsou continues hungering at Baranavičy remand prison.
13.05.2015 Mikalai Dziadok to serve another year in Horki colony
HRC “Viasna” has learned about the new place of imprisonment of political prisoner Mikalai Dziadok, who had been sentenced to another year in prison on February 26 for alleged willful disobedience to the prison administration.
13.05.2015 Belarus: MEPs launch initiative to defend human rights
May 12, 2015 ALDE Group Vice-President, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS (Liberal’s Movement of Lithuania) co-hosted in the European Parliament, a meeting with the relatives of six Belarusian political prisoners who came to share their experiences and talk about the human rights situation under Alexander Lukashenko’s regime.
