The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for May 2013

24.05.2013 Homel journalist Anatol Hatouchyts summoned to Prosecutor’s Office

Anatol Hatouchyts, Homel leader of the Belarusian Association of Journalists, was summoned to the regional Prosecutor’s Office. Yesterday, he received a phone call from the senior assistant Prosecutor Dzmitry Deboi and invited to an interview. He explained that the Prosecutor’s Office possessed “evidence that on April 24 Hatouchyts prepared a video story for the satellite channel Belsat about the flood in Homel.”

24.05.2013 Parliament to outlaw age limit in employment as discrimination

The House of Representatives is reportedly discussing amendments to the Labor Code. The first reading of the bill is said to be underway at the moment.

24.05.2013 ARCHE Re-Registered

The Ministry of Information finally agreed to re-register the independent Belarusian language magazine Arche. Beginning – after six months’ financial inspection and four refusals to re-register the outlet.

23.05.2013 Mahiliou activists complain to UN Human Rights Committee

Complaints to the international organization were sent activist of the Belarusian Popular Front “Adradzhenne” Siarhei Niahatsin and deputy chairman of the Free Trade Union of Belarus Yury Novikau.

23.05.2013 Amnesty International releases Annual Report

"Prisoners of conscience remained in detention; some were sentenced to increased prison terms for violating prison rules. Civil society activists, including human rights defenders and journalists, faced violations of their rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association. Three men were executed," says the Belarus country section of the Report.

23.05.2013 Human rights defenders demand freedom for Ales Bialiatski in Istanbul

Participants in the 38th Congress of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), which was opened today in Istanbul, held a rally to demand the release of prominent human rights defenders, FIDH Vice-President Ales Bialiatski and Nabeel Rajab, FIDH Deputy Secretary General.

23.05.2013 Istanbul: FIDH 38th Congress

For a week, from Thursday, May 23, to Monday, May 27, Istanbul will become the human rights capital of the world, with more than 200 NGOs from 130 countries gathering together. Belarus is represented at the Congress by Valiantsin Stefanovich, Deputy Head of the Human Rights Center “Viasna”, and lawyer Pavel Sapelka.

23.05.2013 Valiantsin Stefanovich: “The Belarusian authorities have not demonstrated a positive trend in implementing the EU conditions”

Valiantsin Stefanovich, Deputy Head of the Human Rights Center “Viasna”, does not share the optimism of the European Parliament’s Rapporteur on Belarus Justas Paleckis, who argues that the human rights situation in the country has improved recently, said he in an interview to the Interfax-West news agency.

23.05.2013 Mahiliou resident complains of Council of Republic Chairman’s non-feasance

Aliaksei Paulouski, resident of Mahiliou, submitted a complaint of a violation of the Law “On Public Appeals” by Chairman of the Parliament’s Upper Chamber, Anatol Rubinau. The complaint has been sent to the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Belarus.

22.05.2013 Belarusian laws, policies restrict religious freedom, US report says

The Belarusian constitution guarantees religious freedom, but other laws and policies restrict it, according to the International Religious Freedom Report for 2012 released by the US Department of State.

22.05.2013 Secretary general expresses hope that Belarus will join Council of Europe

Thorbjorn Jagland, secretary general of the Council of Europe, expressed hope on Tuesday that Belarus would join the organization and ratify the European Convention on Human Rights.

22.05.2013 Autukhovich: Why do the opposition leaders reject the main demand – complete rehabilitation of political prisoners?

In his recent, the political prisoner letter writes about hopes for an early release from prison of political leaders and civil society activists.

22.05.2013 Mahiliou activists of Metalworkers’ Free Trade Union harassed by KGB

It is reported by the local union leader Halina Lisitsyna. On 21 May, she was visited by KGB agents, but she refused to talk without a subpoena.

22.05.2013 Baranavichy authorities ban Milavidy festival

Baranavichy executive committee issued another ban on holding Milavidy festival dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Milavidy during the 1863 anti-Russian Uprising. Previously, we reported that the cultural and educational event was scheduled for June 2, but the executive committee dismissed local activists’ bid, saying that “on this day and in this place the cultural department of Baranavichy district executive committee scheduled its own event in connection with the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Milavidy, so the holding of another event on the subject is not appropriate.”