The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

22.10.2013 Petition in support of Minsk Gay Pride 2013

Organizers of the Minsk Gay Pride 2013 prepared an online petition for a symbolic support for the 9th Annual Belarusian Human Rights Forum and a public action in support of tolerance for gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender persons in the Republic of Belarus.

16.09.2013 Gay rights activist taken off train, searched by customs officers

A gay rights activist was ordered by Belarusian customs officers off a Minsk-bound train and searched at the Ukrainian border in the morning of September 14.

21.08.2013 GayBelarus leaders summoned for conversation to Office for Drug Control and Combating Trafficking in Person

On August 16, Deputy Chairman of the Human Rights Project "GayBelarus" Maksim Dzmitryeu was summoned as a witness without specifying the administrative or criminal case to the Office for Drug Control and Combating Trafficking in Persons of the criminal police. The "conversation," as the representative of the "Belarusian Helsinki Committee", was attended by human rights activist Natalia Mankouskaya.

21.05.2013 LGBT activist searched by customs officials

Aliaksei Kulik, activist of the Belarusian LGBT community, was searched by the customs officials while returning from Ukraine this morning.

28.03.2013 LGBT human rights activist Siarhei Androsenka stripped to shorts at customs control, his passport seized

Siarhei Androsenka, activist of the GayBelarus LGBT human rights movement, was detained at the Hudahai border check point while returning from Vilnius by train. His personal belongings were carefully examined.

14.02.2013 "Human Rights Center "Lambda" got another registration denial

The "Human Rights Center "Lambda" (the name under which the human rights project "GayBelarus" is trying to legalize its activities) was denied the state registration by a letter of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus dated 8 February 2013. The document was signed by the head of the board of non-profit organizations, Alena Kirychenka.

04.02.2013 Another police raid on gay club. About 40 detained

About ten policemen in mufti have held another "check-up" in the Minsk club "6A" this month. The passport data of all present people were put down. About 40 of them were detained for identification and guarded to the police department.

21.01.2013 GayBelarus leader shortly detained by border troops

Siarhei Androsenka, leader of the GayBelarus NGO, was shortly detained by the Belarusian border officers while returning from Warsaw on 19 January, Radio Free Europe/Radio Europe reports.

14.01.2013 Police raid LGBT parties

In the night of 12-13 January the police raided an LGBT-party of the human rights project "GayBelarus" in the "21st century" nightclub in Vitsebsk. At about 0.20 a.m. riot police assaulted the club. All participants of the party were lined up facing the wall – males on one side of the corridor, females – on the other.

18.06.2012 Belarusian media prudent over gay issues

Belarusian mass media remain too conservative in covering LGBT-related issues, says a recent report by an information group that has conducted a monitoring of the country’s media over the past year.

19.05.2012 Belarus Among 10 Most LGBT Rights Violating States in Europe

The report by Ilga Europe was presented on May 17.

17.05.2012 Gay Protests Not Allowed In Minsk

MINSK-- Authorities in the Belarusian capital Minsk have prevented gay activists from holding protests to mark the International Day Against Homophobia on May 17.

06.04.2012 Minsk authorities ban LGBT picket

On 6 April it became known that Minsk City Executive Committee rejected the application of Aliaksei Kulik, activist of the human rights project "GayBelarus" Aliaksei Kulik for holding a picket "Day of Silence: We keep silent to be heard". LGBT activists intended to hold a picket near houses #8-10 in Mayakouski Street.