Forced dispersals of peaceful assemblies by the police are a gross violation of human rights
Statement
by the Human Rights Center Viasna
At the time of the peaceful assemblies in Minsk and other Belarusian cities on 22, 29 June
29 and 3 July officers of the Ministry of Interior used physical violence and
police gear against peaceful protesters. Mass detentions were conducted: occasional
passers-by were detained together with protesters. As a result, hundreds of
citizens were drawn to administrative responsibility (including arrest) on false charges of disorderly conduct, the use
foul language in public places. The Human Rights
Centre Viasna registered numerous
cases of illegal use of physical force against detainees, facts of the lawless
interference with professional activities of journalists on the part of
law-enforcement officers and cases of detention of human rights defenders who
monitored the aforementioned events.
In this regard, the Human Rights Centre Viasna states its protest and says the following:
The protests, which took place in Minsk and other Belarusian cities on 22, 29
June and on 3 July were purely peaceful in nature, didn’t violate public order
and didn’t pose threats to public and national security, human rights and
freedoms of others.
Citizens of Belarus have the right to assemble
peacefully in the streets of their cities for expression of their views,
including protest against the government.
Freedom of peaceful
assembly is guaranteed to citizens of Belarus
by the country's constitution and international norms of human rights including
Article 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,
ratified by the Republic
of Belarus.
Peaceful assemblies are under the protection of
international human rights law, even if such meetings are unauthorized by the
authorities.
Detention of citizens on
trumped up and false charges of disorderly conduct, and their trials at courts
is nothing but arbitrary and illegal arrests and detentions.
All responsibility for the above-mentioned illegal actions
aimed at violating the human rights, falls directly on the Belarusian
authorities, the administration and officers of the Interior Ministry and the
judges of district and municipal courts who have a direct relation to arbitrary
detention and arrest of participants of peaceful assemblies.
Beating detainees by law-enforcement officers in
the special transport is groundless and disproportionate use of violence during
arrests is nothing more than torture. It is worth recalling that freedom from
torture is absolute.
In this regard, the Human Rights Center Viasna once again urges the Belarusian
authorities to:
immediately release all people who were detained and/or
arrested for participating in peaceful assemblies of citizens;
fulfill their international
obligations on human rights, including freedom of peaceful assembly;
ensure the implementation of freedom of peaceful
assembly;
immediately cease the practice of humiliating beatings and arrests of their participants;
bring in line with international norms of legislation on
the organization and conduct of mass actions, in particular, set out in the guidelines
OSCE Representative on Freedom of peaceful assembly;
conduct an immediate
investigation into all facts of abuse by
law-enforcement officers;
bring those responsible to statutory liability.
Human Rights Center Viasna
4 July 2011, Minsk
