The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for July 2020

31.07.2020 Human Rights Watch: Arrests, Criminal Charges, Police Beatings Ahead of August 9 Presidential Vote in Belarus

Police in Belarus have arbitrarily arrested journalists, bloggers, and political activists ahead of the August 9, 2020 presidential election and pressed charges against two potential candidates, Human Rights Watch said today.

31.07.2020 Picks of the week

Minsk courts continue to convict innocent people on trumped-up charges; MFA blocks accreditation of foreign reporters ahead of August 9 election; 13 people arrested over July 14 protest

31.07.2020 Amnesty International condemns new charges against Siarhei Tsikhanouski

As the presidential election on 9 August approaches in Belarus, the authorities are stepping up their crackdown on all dissent without pause. On 30 July, they announced a new criminal investigation against prominent video blogger and opposition politician Siarhei Tsikhanouski.

30.07.2020 Tsikhanouski, Statkevich facing more charges

Opposition leader Mikalai Statkevich and critical vlogger Siarhei Tsikhanouski are facing new criminal charges, the Investigative Committee’s official Telegram channel said.

30.07.2020 European MPs take over prisoners’ godparenthood for Siarhei Tsikhanouski, Artsiom Sakau and Dzmitry Furmanau

Within the framework of the solidarity campaign #WeStandBYyou of Libereco – Partnership for Human Rights, three more MPs have taken over a godparenthood for political prisoners in Belarus. Radoslaw Sikorski (European Parliament, Civic Platform, Poland), Gyde Jensen (Bundestag, FDP, Germany) and Erik Marquardt (European Parliament, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, Germany) demand their immediate and unconditional release.

30.07.2020 Political prisoner Viarhili Ushak released before trial

After two months in detention, political prisoner Viarhili Ushak was released last evening from custody at pre-trial prison No. 1 in Minsk.

29.07.2020 Petitioners, journalists detained near KGB building in Minsk

A group of reporters were briefly detained by the police yesterday afternoon, July 29, after they arrived to the KGB headquarters in central Minsk to cover the filing of petitions requesting the release of arrested presidential nominee Viktar Babaryka, baj.by said. The police also detained some 40 people who came to file petitions.

29.07.2020 Amnesty International calls to release prisoner of conscience Dzmitry Paliyenka

Amnesty International calls for the immediate and unconditional release of prisoner of conscience Dzmitry Paliyenka.

28.07.2020 Protect peaceful protesters in Belarus

People around the world are deeply disturbed by images, video footage and reports coming out of Belarus, which expose a brutal crackdown on peaceful protesters. Sign the petition demanding that police violence ends now.

24.07.2020 Picks of the week

Electoral authorities banish independent journalists from official information center; political prisoner Siarhei Tsikhanouski awarded short prison term in a mock trial; names of persons arrested over July 14 protest revealed

24.07.2020 Solidarity campaign extended: New prisoners’ godparenthood for Statkevich, Seviarynets and Ushak

Within the framework of the solidarity campaign #WeStandBYyou of Libereco, three more MPs have taken over a godparenthood for political prisoners in Belarus. Margarete Bause (Bundestag, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen), Michael Gahler (European Parliament, CDU) and Viola von Cramon (European Parliament, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) demand their immediate and unconditional release.

24.07.2020 EU urges Belarus to release all arbitrarily detained political activists

An ad hoc meeting of EU and Belarus senior officials took place, today, in Brussels. The discussions focused on the situation in the field of human rights and democracy in the context of the upcoming Presidential elections in Belarus on 9 August.

22.07.2020 “Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections” demand transparency in voting and vote count

We once again call on the Belarusian authorities to ensure the full exercise of fundamental human rights and freedoms enshrined in the Constitution, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Copenhagen Document and other international human rights instruments.

22.07.2020 Independent observers banished from polling stations

The Central Election Commission has limited the number of observers who will be allowed to monitor the process of voting at polling stations, citing coronavirus statistics as the cause for the controversial decision.

21.07.2020 PACE will not observe presidential election in Belarus

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe will not send observers to the upcoming August 9 presidential elections in Belarus, despite an invitation from the Belarusian side.