News for May 2021
21.05.2021 Political prisoner Vitold Ashurak dies in detention
The 50-year-old opposition activist died while serving his 5-year term in the Škloŭ prison.
21.05.2021 Release political prisoners Yaraslau Burak and Dzmitry Khars!
Joint statement by Belarusian human rights organizations
21.05.2021 “Ordinary people who want to speak freely”: Brest court convicts more protesters over August “riots”
Judge Andrei Hrushko of the Lieninski District Court of Brest sentenced thirteen people, including eleven political prisoners and two minors, to various terms in prison over their involvement in the post-election protests of August 2020.
20.05.2021 OSCE PA human rights leaders decry harassment of Belarusian independent media
In response to the developments, Kyriakos Hadjiyianni (Cyprus), Michael Georg Link (Germany) and Kari Henriksen (Norway) issued a joint statement.
20.05.2021 HRDs demand retrials and release of 8 more political prisoners
Joint statement of the Belarusian human rights community
19.05.2021 UN appoints OHCHR fact-finding mission experts to Belarus
UN High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet today announced the appointment of three high-level experts to the UN Human Rights Office’s fact-finding mission on Belarus that will assist her in conducting a comprehensive examination of alleged human rights violations committed in Belarus since 1 May 2020.
18.05.2021 Amnesty International: Blocking leading online media outlet is a brazen attack on freedom of expression
The blocking of the TUT.by website is a full-scale assault on the right to freedom of expression and media freedom in Belarus, and leaves a gaping wound in the country’s access to independent sources of information.
18.05.2021 Human rights defenders call to release 21 more political prisoners
Joint statement by the human rights organizations of Belarus
18.05.2021 Stop attack on TUT.BY and other media resources
Statement by the Belarusian Association of Journalists
18.05.2021 Political prisoner Siarhei Kapanets sentenced to 5 1/2 years in prison over “helping to organize riots”
The Centraĺny District Court of Minsk sentenced political prisoner Siarhei Kapanets, a member of Viktar Babaryka's nomination group, to five and a half years in a medium-security penal colony.
17.05.2021 Political prisoner Aliaksandr Rayentau sentenced to 5 years in prison
The Frunzienski District Court of Minsk announced today its verdict in the criminal trial against political prisoner Aliaksandr Rayentau on charges of “disturbing public order” (Part 1 of Art. 342 of the Criminal Code) and “resisting a police officer” (Part 2 of Art. 363 of the Criminal Code).
14.05.2021 Human rights organizations name five new political prisoners
Joint statement by representatives of the Belarusian human rights community
14.05.2021 Whistleblower army officer sentenced to 18 years in prison on high treason charges
The Supreme Court has sentenced political prisoner Dzianis Urad to 18 years in a medium-security penal colony, finding him guilty of high treason (Part 2 of Article 356 of the Criminal Code). Urad, a former Captain at the Armed Forces’ General Staff, was also deprived of his military rank. The trial was held behind closed doors.
13.05.2021 Vasil Pilets is a political prisoner
Statement by the human rights community of Belarus on the sentencing of Vasil Pilets under Part 1 of Art. 339 of the Criminal Code
13.05.2021 6 years in prison for 'teaching to clap hands': Political prisoner Aliaksei Sanchuk convicted
A 30-year-old political prisoner and musician Aliaksei Sanchuk has been sentenced to six years in a medium-security penal colony, after Judge Tatsiana Pirozhnikava of the Maskoŭski District Court of Minsk found him guilty under several articles of the Criminal Code.
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