News on the topic: Amnesty International
26.08.2020 NGOs call on UN Human Rights Council to convene extraordinary session on Belarus crisis
The UN Human Rights Council must urgently convene a special session to address the human rights crisis in Belarus, where authorities have launched a full-scale crackdown following disputed presidential elections, Amnesty International and 15 other international and Belarusian NGOs said today in an open letter.
21.08.2020 Amnesty International: Criminal case against opposition is a shocking violation of freedom of expression
This development has once again proved that there is no space in Belarus for any opinion that questions or criticizes President Lukashenka’s government. It has extinguished any remaining illusions that the authorities are interested in respecting human rights and the rule of law.
13.08.2020 Amnesty International: Belarus: Attacks on journalists mount amid protest crackdown
The Belarusian authorities must immediately end their assault on journalists, Amnesty International said on 12 August, amid reports of journalists being arrested, beaten, and targeted with rubber bullets while covering the vicious police crackdown on protests. Media workers have also had their cameras smashed and their footage deleted.
11.08.2020 Amnesty International: Police unleash appalling violence on peaceful protesters
Amnesty International’s delegates in the Belarusian capital Minsk witnessed appalling violence unleashed by riot police on peaceful protesters who took to the streets last night after official announcements on election results, which protesters view as rigged.
03.08.2020 Amnesty International: Armed forces have no business in dealing with protests
On 24 July, Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka publicly stated that he was prepared to use the Armed Forces to “restore order” and put down street protests and demonstrations. This remark was made in the context of an upcoming presidential election on 9 August, in which the incumbent will be seeking re-election for his sixth term. It follows weeks of mass protests against electoral violations across the country, all of them peaceful except those that were brutally dispersed by the authorities which resulted in isolated incidents of police-provoked violence.
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.
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.
17.07.2020 Amnesty International: Misogyny and discrimination fuels vicious campaign against activists ahead of election
The Belarusian authorities must halt their crackdown on all dissent ahead of the presidential election on 9 August, and immediately end their vicious campaign of targeting women activists and family members of political opposition representatives using tactics fueled by misogyny, Amnesty International said today.
15.07.2020 Amnesty International: Mass arrests during peaceful gatherings violated protesters’ rights and provoked violence
The people who have gathered to denounce the elimination of opposition presidential candidates from the election list have every right to take to the streets. Peaceful protest is an essential way of exercising the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and expression.
06.07.2020 Amnesty International calls to release veteran activist Pavel Seviarynets
Amnesty International has launched an urgent action forcing the Belarusian authorities to release known opposition activist Pavel Seviarynets who is reportedly ill-treated while serving 75 days of administrative detention.
29.06.2020 Amnesty International calls Tsikhanouski, Babaryka, associates and bloggers prisoners of conscience
The Belarusian authorities “must end politically motivated prosecutions, intimidation, harassment and reprisals against Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s opponents and their supporters, civil society activists and independent media,” Amnesty International said today.
28.06.2020 Amnesty International: Bloggers and activists arrested in purge ahead of the presidential election must be released
The Belarusian authorities are carrying out a full-scale purge of dissenting voices, using repressive laws to stifle criticism ahead of the elections, where President Alyaksandr Lukashenka is running for the sixth consecutive term. Opposition candidates, supporters, and independent media have faced arbitrary arrest, hefty fines, and incarceration. Now those active on social media are being targeted.
24.06.2020 Amnesty International urges Belarus to stop execution of Kostseu brothers
On 22 May, the Supreme Court of Belarus upheld the death sentences of young brothers Stanislau and Illia Kostseu, aged 19 and 21 respectively. They have appealed to President Lukashenka for clemency. The President has granted clemency only once since coming to power in 1994. If clemency is denied, Stanislau and Illia Kostseu will be executed imminently.
29.04.2020 Eastern Europe and Central Asia: Human rights must be protected during COVID-19 pandemic
Governments in Eastern European and Central Asian countries are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic with repressive and abusive measures which fall far short of their human rights obligations, Amnesty International said today.
