The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for December 2018

30.12.2018 Human Rights Situation in Belarus: December 2018

During the month, there were numerous facts of pressure on independent journalists and bloggers, freelancers, arrests of peaceful protesters.

29.12.2018 UN HRC registers complaint of Belarusian death row prisoner

On December 24, the United Nations Human Rights Committee has registered the individual communication of death convict Aliaksandr Zhylnikau, according to the prisoner’s lawyer who visited him on December 27.

22.12.2018 Chechnya Through the Eyes of Belarusian Human Rights Activists

Almost five months ago, the Shali distric court in the Russian constituent republic of Chechnya opened the trial in the case of human rights defender Oyub Titiev.

21.12.2018 Picks of the week

MPs approve bill to decriminalize illegal NGO membership; REP activist under excessive restrictions; protesters still face routine judicial harassment

20.12.2018 Amnesty International: Two known prisoners on death row in Belarus at risk of imminent execution

"There is grave concern that the only two known prisoners on death row in Belarus, Aliaksandr Zhylnikau and Viachaslau Sukharko, are at risk of imminent execution," Amnesty International said.

19.12.2018 Court quashes order to expel UCP spokesperson

The Court of the Maskoŭski District of Minsk ruled to meet an appeal by Hanna Krasulina, a Russian-born head of the United Civil Party’s press-service, who challenged an order by the city police to deport her on dubious charges.

18.12.2018 OSCE ODIHR event: Belarus is surprisingly tenacious in restricting freedom of assembly

On December 17-18, Vienna hosted the third round table organized by the OSCE ODIHR to discuss the methodology of monitoring peaceful assemblies. It was attended by over 30 representatives from different countries of the OSCE region, including Georgia, Ukraine, Russia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Turkey, Albania, Great Britain, Germany, Moldova, Hungary and Belarus.

17.12.2018 Reporters Without Borders: Harassment of journalists breaks records in Belarus

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls on the Belarusian government’s international partners to react to the surge in its persecution of journalists, with nearly 100 fines imposed already this year on reporters working for exile media – an all-time record.

15.12.2018 Picks of the week

Amnesty International calls to stop new acts of harassment against ex-prisoner of conscience Dzmitry Paliyenka; civil society activists call new ant-parasite law a shame; more journalists convicted in Belarus

14.12.2018 Stop deportation of United Civil Party press secretary!

Joint statement of the Belarusian human rights community

13.12.2018 UN human rights experts condemn Belarus executions

GENEVA (12 December 2018) — UN human rights experts condemned Belarus for its continued use of the death penalty, following local news reports that the country, in defiance of the Human Rights Committee’s requests for a stay, had executed three people: Aleksei Mikhalenya, Semyon Berezhnoi and Igor Gershankov.

11.12.2018 Campaigners against the death penalty win national human rights prize

Belarusian human rights defenders marked the International Human Rights Day by awarding the 10th annual National Human Rights Prize. The ceremony was hosted by the newly opened education space “Territory of Rights.”

07.12.2018 Picks of the week

Human rights defender Leanid Sudalenka awarded French Human Rights Prize; Former political prisoner Dzmitry Paliyenka will stand two more administrative trials; police in Hrodna use an array of illegal means to extort confession

06.12.2018 Belarus: Amnesty International condemns execution of two more prisoners

Last week, the families of Siamion Berazhnoy and Ihar Hershankou confirmed to the Belarusian civil society organisation Human Rights Centre Viasna that they have been officially informed of the executions. Also according to information from Viasna the men were likely executed on the night of 19-20 November.