The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for February 2015

26.02.2015 Andrei Bastunets: It is mechanism of obviously repressive character

Websites will be blocked within 24 hours, but restoring access to them will take months.

26.02.2015 Brest journalist fined in absentia

Leninski District Court of Brest has flagrantly violated Procedure Code, the Constitution and intermational standards. Independent journalist Alina Litvinchuk informed Radio Racyja.

26.02.2015 Amnesty International stresses politically motivated prosecution of Yury Rubtsou

In its annual report presented yesterday across the world, Amnesty International has highlighted the prosecution of Belarusian activist Yury Rubtsou, who is serving a sentence in an open institution in the village of Kuplin, Pruzhany district.

25.02.2015 Human rights activist Leanid Sudalenka writes to police about threats to his children

Leanid Sudalenka, chairman of the Homel city branch of the public association “Legal Initiative”, has lodged a complaint with the police department of the Homel Regional Executive Committee. He asks the police to identify the individual or legal person (IP-address), which administers the website gomelbest.com and which committed, in his opinion, a criminal offense under Article 186 of the Criminal Code (threat of homicide).

25.02.2015 Death convict’s mother complains of inhuman treatment

Tamara Sialiun, mother of Pavel Sialiun, who was executed in the spring of 2014, argues that the authorities deliberately cause mental suffering to the families of executed prisoners, thus violating the constitutional rights of citizens.

25.02.2015 KGB summons activist for interrogation in Hrodna

On 25 February, Dzianis Ivashyn, an opposition activist in Hrodna, received a phone call from a KGB representative who said his name was Major Pavel Slavuta. He offered the activist to appear in the KGB’s local department in order to discuss the nature and purpose of his trips abroad.

25.02.2015 Pinsk authorities expand list of authorized venues for public events

According to a new decision of the Pinsk city executive committee, rallies, meetings and pickets (except for demonstrations and marches) can now be held in five locations, while the previous regulation adopted in 2011 allowed staging protests in only three locations (stadiums Prypiats and DTSAAF), as well as a stage in the city park.

25.02.2015 Belarusian authorities want to completely block independent websites

The Ministry of Communication is going to block all tools of anonymity on the Internet, including anonymisers, proxy servers and the Tor project. The blockage will hit not only prohibited websites but also anonymisers and networks like Tor that allow accessing blocked sites, Nasha Niva reports.

25.02.2015 Amnesty International Report 2014/15: Belarus summary

Belarus remained the only country in Europe to carry out executions. Opposition politicians and human rights activists were detained for legitimate activities. The right to freedom of expression was severely restricted and journalists faced harassment. Severe restrictions on freedom of assembly remained in place. NGOs continued to be arbitrarily denied registration.

25.02.2015 Ales Bialiatski calls on Italian MFA to continue policy of pressure on Belarusian regime

On 24 February, chairman of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" Ales Bialiatski met in Rome with head of the Human Rights Department of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Jessica Laganà.

25.02.2015 Efficiency of the Use of International Human Rights Mechanisms in Respect of Belarus

A number of Belarusian NGOs have published a report prepared by graduates and experts of the Human Rights House Network’s program “International Law in Advocacy” as a result of a study entitled “Efficiency of the Use of International Human Rights Mechanisms in Respect of Belarus”.

25.02.2015 Ales Bialiatski: Voice of human rights defenders working for peace must be heard (video)

Ales Bialiatski, leader of the Human Rights Center “Viasna”, spoke yesterday at the presentation of Amnesty International’s annual report in Rome. The event was organized by Amnesty’s national office.

25.02.2015 Global response to atrocities by states and armed groups "shameful and ineffective"

“2014 was a catastrophic year for millions caught up in violence. As people suffered an escalation in barbarous attacks and repression, the international community has been found wanting,” said Salil Shetty, Secretary General of Amnesty International.

24.02.2015 EU not to ignore human rights violations in Belarus

Deputy Head of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” Valiantsin Stefanovich has told about his today’s meeting with representatives of the European Union’s European External Action Service, which took place on 24 February at the European Commission’s office in Minsk.

24.02.2015 Azerbaijan Extends Rights Activist's Pretrial Detention By Five Months

BAKU -- A court in Azerbaijan has reportedly ordered that human rights activist Arif Yunus be held in pretrial detention for at least five more months.