The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for August 2017

30.08.2017 Human rights activists alarmed over new wave of harassment against lawyers

The Ministry of Justice has reportedly ordered an extraordinary certification of a number of lawyers, which may void the licenses of some of them, including those involved in politically motivated cases.

29.08.2017 Director of news agency detained in Azerbaijan

Mehman Aliyev, the director of Azerbaijani independent news agency Turan has been given 3 months pretrial detention and is facing charges for illegal entrepreneurship, tax evasion, and abuse of power. HRHF calls for his immediate and unconditional release.

28.08.2017 Statkevich's wife: "Mikalai in jail again"

According to official information provided by the court of Minsk’s Maskoŭski District Court, opposition leader Mikalai Statkevich has been sentenced to 5 days of administrative detention. The politician was penalized for participating an unauthorized protest on March 30. The court ruling was issued on May 15 and entered into force on May 23. At the same time, the sentence was a complete surprise for Statkevich, who knew nothing about the charges and the court's decision.

25.08.2017 Reporters Without Borders: Five Belsat TV reporters on trial

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns the Belarusian regime’s increasing persecution of the country’s few remaining independent journalists, as evidenced by the trials of five of them today and tomorrow on charges of working for foreign media without press accreditation.

24.08.2017 Amnesty International: Dzmitry Paliyenka is a prisoner of conscience

Amnesty International believes that Dzmitry Paliyenka has been targeted by the authorities because of his peaceful activism and, as such, that he is a prisoner of conscience. Amnesty International urges the Belarusian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release him.

23.08.2017 Civil Rights Defenders: Belarus Must Drop Charges Against Ihar Komlik and Henadz Fiadynich

Civil Rights Defenders calls upon the Belarusian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Ihar Komlik and to drop all charges against Ihar Komlik and Henadz Fiadynich.

14.08.2017 Henadz Fiadynich charged with tax evasion

Henadz Fiadynich, head of the independent Trade Union of Radio and Electronic Industry (REP), has been officially charged with tax evasion, BelaPAN said quoting the Investigative Committee’s spokesperson Yuliya Hancharova.

11.08.2017 Komlik formally charged, Fiadynich still a suspect

Ihar Komlik, chief accountant of the REP trade union, has bene officially charged under Part 2 of Article 243 of the Criminal Code, “large-scale tax evasion.”

10.08.2017 Observatory condemns judicial harassment against trade union leaders in Belarus

The Observatory fears that REP and BITU leaders are being targeted in reprisal for their human rights activities and calls for the immediate release of Mr. Komlik, as well as ending all judicial harassment against REP and BITU leaders, in particular Messrs Komlik and Fiadynich, in so far as it appears to only aim at sanctioning their peaceful and legitimate human rights activities.

09.08.2017 International trade union leaders call to end persecution of Fiadynich and Komlik

Valter Sanches, General Secretary of the IndustriALL Global Union, and Sharan Burrow, General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), have expressed deep concern and outrage at the recent searches in the offices of the Belarusian Independent Trade Union (BNP) and the Belarusian Trade Union of Radio Electronic Industry (REP) in a letter to President Lukashenka, Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Prosecutor General of Belarus.

04.08.2017 Let’s celebrate International Day of Solidarity with the civil society of Belarus

It’s 2017, and we would like to be happy that the world has changed, becoming more humane and kinder. But unfortunately, this minute the trade unions are being searched, and people are arrested after expressing solidarity with their colleagues, the death penalty is still in place.

04.08.2017 Stop prosecution of Henadz Fiadynich and Ihar Komlik

Joint Statement of Belarusian Human Rights Organizations

02.08.2017 Trade union leaders face tax evasion charges

The Minsk and Salihorsk offices of two key opposition trade unions have been raided today by the Department for Financial Investigations, nn.by said. Office equipment and financial documents have been seized.

02.08.2017 Human Rights Situation in Belarus: July 2017

The government of Belarus still adheres to the policy of repression against civil society activists and members of the political opposition, which started in the spring of this year, while assumptions of its mitigation are still premature.