Observatory urges Belarus to release Viasna members ahead of trial in Homieĺ

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a partnership of FIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), has received new information and requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Belarus.

New information:

The Observatory has been informed about the upcoming trial of Leanid Sudalenka, lawyer of the Homieĺ (Gomel) branch of the Human Rights Center Viasna [1] , Tatsiana Lasitsa and Maria Tarasenka, Viasna’s volunteers working with Mr. Sudalenka.

On September 3, 2021, Leanid Sudalenka, Tatsiana Lasitsa, and Maria Tarasenka will face trial before the Centraĺny District Court of Homieĺ, and the charges against them will be heard by judge Siarhei Salouski, known for imposing systematically unfair and repressive sentences in the post-election politically motivated cases.

Leanid Sudalenka and Tatsiana Lasitsa have been arbitrarily detained for seven months in the pretrial detention center No. 3 in Homieĺ. On February 1, 2021, they were charged under Parts 1 and 2 of Article 342 of the Belarus Criminal Code (“organization and preparation of actions grossly violating public order and financing such activities”). Maria Tarasenka, who is currently under restriction order, is charged under the same article. If convicted, they could face a three-year sentence in prison.

The Observatory recalls that Leanid Sudalenka was arrested and interrogated on January 18, 2021 by the Investigative Committee of Belarus, without being granted access to his lawyer for several hours. On the same criminal case, Maria Tarasenka, Leanid Sudalenka’s assistant, was arrested on January 18, 2021 and subsequently released on January 21, 2021 under travel restrictions. For her part, Tatsiana Lasitsa was arrested on January 21, 2021 at the Minsk airport by officers of the Interior Ministry, while attempting to travel from Belarus to Lithuania.

The Observatory further recalls that Leanid Sudalenka was interrogated and his office was searched on January 5, 2021, by officers of the Main Department for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in connection with another criminal case opened earlier in December 2020 against a Homieĺ opposition activist, Uladzimir Nepomniashchykh, in which he is figuring as a witness.

Leanid Sudalenka, a prominent human rights defender for twenty years, has been repeatedly targeted by the Belarusian authorities, along with many Viasna members. The prosecution of the three activists is part of a massive crackdown against the organisation.

The Observatory condemns the ongoing arbitrary detention of Leanid Sudalenka, Tatsiana Lasitsa and other human rights defenders members and volunteers of Viasna, Ales Bialiatski, Valiantsin Stefanovic, Uladzimir Labkovich, Marfa Rabkova and Andrey Chapyuk.

The Observatory expresses its concern about the respect of their right to a fair trial, as their detention seems to be merely aimed at punishing them for their legitimate human rights activities.

The Observatory urges the authorities to immediately release Leanid Sudalenka, Tatsiana Lasitsa and all Viasna members along with all human rights defenders, journalists and activists arbitrarily detained in Belarus and to guarantee their physical integrity, psychological well-being and right to a fair trial.

Actions requested:

Please write to the authorities of Belarus to urge them to:

i. Guarantee in all circumstances the physical integrity and psychological well-being of Leanid Sudalenka, Tatsiana Lasitsa, Maria Tarasenka and all other human rights defenders in Belarus;

ii. Immediately and unconditionally release Leanid Sudalenka, Tatsiana Lasitsa, Ales Bialiatski, Valiantsin Stefanovic, Uladzimir Labkovich, Marfa Rabkova, Andrey Chapyuk, and all other detained human rights defenders, as their detention is arbitrary and seem to be merely aimed at punishing them for their legitimate human rights activities;

iii. Guarantee Leanid Sudalenka, Tatsiana Lasitsa and Maria Tarasenka’s right to due process and fair trial during the judicial proceedings in their case;

iv. Put an end to all acts of harassment - including at the judicial level - against Leanid Sudalenka, Tatsiana Lasitsa, Maria Tarasenka and all other Viasna members and human rights defenders in the country, and ensure in all circumstances that they are able to carry out their legitimate activities without any hindrance and fear of reprisals;

v. Guarantee in all circumstances the right to freedom of association in the country, as enshrined in international human rights law and particularly in Article 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Addresses:

• Mr. Aliaksandr Lukashenka, President of Belarus, Email: contact@president.gov.by;
• Mr. Andrei Shved, General Prosecutor of Belarus, Email: info@prokuratura.gov.by;
• Mr Dmitry Gora, Chairman of the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Belarus, Email: sk@sk.gov.by;
• Mr. Oleg Slizhevsky, Minister of Justice of Belarus, Email: kanc@minjust.by;
• Mr. Vasily Gerasimov, Acting Chairman of the State Control Committee of Belarus, Email: kgk@mail.belpak.by;
• Mr. Ivan Kubrakov, minister of Internal Affairs of Belarus, Email: pismo_mvd@mia.by;
• Mr. Yury Ambrazevich, Permanent Mission of Belarus to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Email: mission.belarus@ties.itu.int;
• H.E. Mr. Aliaksandr Mikhnevich, Embassy of Belarus in Brussels, Email: belgium@mfa.gov.by

Please also write to the diplomatic representations of Belarus in your respective countries.

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Paris-Geneva, August 25, 2021

Source: fidh.org