The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for June 2016

30.06.2016 Death row secrets. Part 3

Representatives of the campaign “Human Rights Defenders against the Death Penalty in Belarus” have gathered memories and testimonies of former prison staff and former inmates, their family members, part of which has been used to prepare this publication.

29.06.2016 Ales Bialiatski: government opposes any human rights activity

The government of Belarus continues to ignore human rights issues, Ales Bialiatski said in his comment on a recent decision by the Mahilioŭ authorities to deny registration to a local Center For Gender Studies Ruža.

28.06.2016 Human rights defenders insist on independent analysis in Eduard Palchys case

Viasna activists do not rule out a political motive in the persecution of critical blogger Eduard Palchys, but stress that an unbiased examination of his texts should be carried out, Valiantsin Stefanovich said in his comment for naviny.by.

27.06.2016 Amnesty International calls to annul preventive supervision imposed on Pavel Vinahradau

Amnesty International has condemned the arbitrary penalty against Pavel Vinahradau, who was sentenced to six months of “preventive supervision” on 7 June 2016, on the basis of his participation in peaceful, but unauthorized protests.

24.06.2016 Uladzimir Labkovich: Yarmoshyna’s words a political statement

There will be no transparent counting of votes during this year’s parliamentary elections, said Lidziya Yarmoshyna, head of the Central Election Commission. The statement reflects the authorities’ current approach to the administration of elections, says Uladzimir Labkovich of the Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections campaign.

23.06.2016 The death penalty: Belarus still outside global trend

Human rights activist Valiantsin Stefanovich, who, along with his colleagues, is taking part in the 6th World Congress against the Death Penalty in Oslo, describes the major trends discussed at the global forum.

23.06.2016 Activist forcibly held by police without charge

A civil rights activist, Tamara Siarhei, says she was forcibly taken to a police station without being charged in order to prevent her from attending a protest rally in Minsk.

23.06.2016 Freelance journalists appeal violent detention in Lojeŭ

Freelance journalists Kanstantsin Zhukouski and Aliaksei Atroshchankau, who were detained on June 21 in the town of Lojeŭ, Homieĺ region, have written to the Investigation Committee asking the authorities to investigate their brutal detention by the police officers. The reporters say they were beaten after the arrest.

22.06.2016 Miklós Haraszti again calls on Belarus to engage with UN Special Rapporteur mandate (video)

The oppressive government has not changed since the establishment of the mandate after the brutal crackdown on the post-election protest in December 2010, UN Special Rapporteur Miklós Haraszti said yesterday during the presentation of his forth Report on the situation of human rights in Belarus.

21.06.2016 FIDH calls for strong and coordinated action against the death penalty

FIDH and its member organisations reiterate their call for the universal abolition of this inhuman practice in accordance with international human rights standards.

21.06.2016 World Congress against the Death Penalty opens in Oslo

The 6th World Congress against the Death Penalty is taking place in Norway’s Oslo from 21 to 23 June.

20.06.2016 Death row secrets. Part 2

18.06.2016 Amnesty International urges UN Human Rights Council to renew mandate of Special Rapporteur on Belarus

Amnesty International calls on members of the UN Human Rights Council to support the renewal of the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation in Belarus.

16.06.2016 Legal analysis of implementation of OSCE ODIHR recommendations on 2016 parliamentary elections

The campaign "Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections" is a non-partisan initiative and does not intend to support political parties and politicians. The entire election process is assessed solely on the basis of the principles of free, democratic and transparent elections, which can enable the people of Belarus to fully exercise their constitutional right to participate in the government of the country.

15.06.2016 Kyrgyzstan at a Crossroads: The authorities must widen the scene for human rights defenders

(Geneva, Paris) As a trial is due to resume today against the President of Kyrgyzstan for his slanderous statements against two leading Kyrgyz human rights activists, the Observatory (joint FIDH-OMCT partnership) publishes today the main concerns of an international mission conducted last week in partnership and solidarity with FIDH member organisations, Bir Duino Kyrgyzstan and Kylym Shamy.