The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for February 2016

29.02.2016 UN Human Rights Committee registers complaint by freelance journalist Kanstantsin Zhukouski

The UN Human Rights Committee has registered a complaint by Kanstantsin Zhukouski, a freelance journalist in Homieĺ, who was fined for covering a protest in Svietlahorsk in November 2014.

26.02.2016 Lawtrend and Assembly of NGOs issue annual report on freedom of association

The Assembly of Democratic NGOs and the Center for Legal Transformation Lawtrend have prepared an annual report "Freedom of Associations and Legal Conditions for Non-Profit Organizations In Belarus".

25.02.2016 Freelance journalist Kanstantsin Zhukouski gets fourth fine in two months

On February 24, the Žlobin District Court fined Kanstantsin Zhukouski, a freelance journalist working for the Belsat TV channel, 16 million rubles on charges of illegal manufacturing media products (Article 22.9 of the Administrative Code).

24.02.2016 Belarus in Amnesty International's Annual Report

The situation after the October 2015 presidential elections, the death penalty, prisoners of conscience, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, freedom of association and human rights defenders, the rights of LGBT people - these are the key areas covered by Amnesty International's Annual Report describing Belarus's human rights record in 2015.

24.02.2016 Human rights defenders expect concrete measurable results

Representatives of Belarusian human rights organizations have met with the Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Benedetto Della Vedova, Chief of Staff Lorenzo Golanti and the ambassador of the Republic of Italy to Belarus Stefano Bianchi.

23.02.2016 Student NGOs protest anti-government allegations

The country’s three leading NGOs working for students’ rights have sent a collective appeal to the Belarusian State Medical University about a message posted on VKontakte social network by a representative of University’s Student Self-Government Coordination Council.

22.02.2016 Tajik opposition activist released from jail in Belarus

Shabnam Hudoydodova, activist of the Group 24 Tajik opposition movement, has been released from jail in Brest, after over eight months of imprisonment.

22.02.2016 Activists briefly detained in Svietlahorsk

Viachaslau Siuchyk, leader of the Razam opposition movement, and activist of vendors’ protests Ales Makayeu were detained by the police in Svietlahorsk on February 19. The activists had come to the town to meet with local entrepreneurs.

22.02.2016 Pope Francis Calls Death Penalty Inappropriate "No Matter How Serious the Crime"

In a letter to the President of the International Commission Against the Death Penalty, Pope Francis expressed the Catholic Church's opposition to the death penalty, calling it "inadmissible, no matter how serious the crime committed."

19.02.2016 Viasna demands immediate release of human rights defender Intiqam Aliyev in Azerbaijan

Representatives of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" have joined Amnesty International’s action, writing to the Azerbaijani ambassador in Belarus about the recent deterioration of health of Azerbaijani prisoner of conscience Intiqam Aliyev.

19.02.2016 OSCE/ODIHR Director calls on Belarus to introduce moratorium on death penalty

WARSAW, 18 February 2016 – Today, following the sentencing to death in Minsk of both Sergei Khmelevsky this week and Henadz Yakavitski on 5 January 2016, Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), called on Belarus to introduce an immediate moratorium on the death penalty and its complete abolition.

Creating separate colony with intolerable conditions of detention contrary to fundamental principles of international and national law

18.02.2016 Creating separate colony with intolerable conditions of detention contrary to fundamental principles of international and national law

In accordance with Article 8 of the Criminal Executive Code, which enshrines the foundations of the legal status of convicted persons, the State guarantees the protection of the rights, freedoms and legitimate interests of convicts, provides the statutory conditions of application of punishments and other measures of criminal responsibility in relation to convicts, guarantees social justice, their social, legal and other protection.

18.02.2016 Anatol Liabedzka And Iryna Yaskevich Fined For Solidarity With Sole Traders

The court of Maskouski district of Minsk has sentenced Anatol Liabedzka to a fine, 50 basic units (Br10 million 500 thousand).

18.02.2016 Human rights defenders offer expert assistance to CEC

Representatives of the campaign “Human Rights Defenders For Free Election”, co-run by the Belarusian Helsinki Committee and the Human Rights Center “Viasna”, have written to the CEC head Lidziya Yarmoshyna, offering their assistance in the work of an expert group formed to review the OSCE ODIHR recommendations on improving the electoral process in Belarus.