News on the topic: international organizations
06.12.2011 UN Committee against Torture insists on investigation of tortures in Belarus
The UN Committee against Torture has released recommendations for the Belarusian authorities after discussing the situation in Belarus in Geneva on 11 and 14 November. Two reports, an official governmental one on Belarus’s fulfilling the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and the other one prepared by human rights activists. Following the two hearings, the Committee drew up recommendations for the authorities of Belarus, BelaPAN news agency reports.
25.11.2011 “New legislative amendments unduly restrict fundamental rights,” warn UN experts
Three United Nations independent experts warned that the new legislative amendments recently adopted by the National Assembly of Belarus may severely and arbitrarily restrict the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, association and expression, and breach international law.
24.11.2011 OSCE head calls on Minsk to release Byalyatski immediately
The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Audronius Ažubalis has expressed his deep concern about the sentence to human rights activist Ales Byalyatski and urged to release him immediately.
14.11.2011 Uladzimir Labkovich: “Bialiatski’s case started with a warning, issued to him by General Procuracy for activities on behalf of an unregistered organization”
On 15 October the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission) produced a special report "On the conformity with the universal human rights standards of Article 193-1 of the Criminal Code on the rights of non-registered associations of the Republic of Belarus”. The uniqueness of this instrument lies in the fact that it was the first time when this authoritative legal commission considered only one article in a country’s law.
07.11.2011 A brief review of the second day of the hearing of the case of Ales Bialiatski
On November 3, 2011 in Minsk the trial of Ales Bialiatski, the head of the human rights center Viasna and vice-president of the International Federation of Human Rights continued. The International observation mission of the Committee on international control over the situation with Human Rights in Belarus followed the progress of the trial. A survey of the first day can be found here. Today's hearing was largely devoted to the examination of witnesses.
07.11.2011 The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders: Third day of the trial against Ales Bialiatski shows clear signs of a politically-motivated trial
On the second day, Mr. Ales Bialiatski appeared in court behind bars, very pale, but also very clear when answering about his professional activities. On the first day of his trial, Mr. Ales Bialiatski was not allowed to have lunch, nor to drink. When he was interrogated for more than two hours, he stood up, with his documents in the hands whereas the interrogators, the prosecution and the judge were sat-down.
02.11.2011 Trial of Ales Bialiatski (updated)
Extraordinary precautions have been used since 9 a.m. near the building of the Maskouski District Court of Minsk. Special police forces and several cars of the road police arrived. Private parking spaces were fenced with protective police tapes. The people who wanted to attend the trial started gathering at the entrance. At 9.30 a.m. Ales Bialiatski was guarded to the court.
26.10.2011 Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders: undue pressure against Belarus' civil society and independent media continues
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint project of the International Federation for Human rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), has released its annual report covering administrative abuses against human rights defenders worldwide.
21.10.2011 Open Joint letter regarding the new legislative amendments limiting freedom of assembly and association and imposing new restrictions on civil society groups in Belarus
A number of international human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, ARTICLE 19, Civil Rights Defenders, Front Line Defenders, Human Rights Watch, the Human Rights House Foundation, the Norwegian Helsinki Committee and the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, have addressed the Council of the Republic, the upper chamber of the Belarusian Parliament, urging the Parliament members to quash recent legislative amendments that impose limitations on freedom of assembly and association and severely restrict the work of Belarusian civil society groups, especially those working on human rights or related issues.
21.10.2011 Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders: Urgent appeal on Valiantsin Stefanovich's case
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Belarus. The Observatory has been informed by reliable sources about the sentencing of Mr. Valiantsin Stefanovich, Vice-Chairman of the Human Rights Centre “Viasna”.
09.10.2011 PACE adopts a declaration on Ales Bialiatski
"Ales Bialiatski, leader of the Human Rights Centre Viasna, was arrested on 4 August 2011 and may face up to seven years imprisonment purportedly for income tax evasion. The severe restrictions on freedom of association in Belarus and the impossibility for independent organisations to register and to receive funds from abroad seriously impeded the work of Viasna and jeopardised its efforts to assist victims of political repression," reads the declaration.
03.10.2011 Actions to immediately release political prisoners in Belarus discussed at the OSCE Human Dimension Conference
The parallel event “Ales Bialiatski: symbolical case of violation of political and political rights in Belarus after the presidential elections of 2010” took place within the framework of the yearly Human Dimension Meeting of the OSCE. It was organized by a coalition of human rights organizations including the Norwegian Human Rights Committee, Polish Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, World Organization against Torture, Amnesty International, Human Rights House Foundation, Human Rights Watch, Front Line, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the Human Rights Center Viasna. It was attended by former political prisoner Aliaksandr Atroshchankau, presidential candidate Vital Rymasheuski and leaders of the democratic parties of Belarus.
30.09.2011 “Belarusian bars are becoming Justice Ministry’s department”
“Belarusian bars are becoming Justice Ministry’s department”, - say the participants of the International Congress of the European Bars Federation held in Wroclaw in late September, where Belarusian lawyers were represented by Pavel Sapelka, deprived of his license for involvement in politically-motivated criminal cases.
30.09.2011 Another international observer prevented from entering Belarus
On 30 September, the Belarusian border troops did not allow Ukrainian activist of the International Observation Mission of the Committee of International Control over the Human Rights Situation in Belarus Volodymyr Senko to enter the country.
29.09.2011 Measures for release of political prisoners considered at OSCE conference
On 28 September, Warsaw hosted a side-event “Ales Bialiatski: a symbolic case of the restrictions to political and civil rights in Belarus after the 2010 presidential elections” as part of the OSCE Human Dimension Conference, arranged by a coalition of a number of human rights organizations: the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, the Polish Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, the World Organization against Torture (OMCT), Amnesty International, the Human Rights House Network, Human Rights Watch, Front Line, the International Federation for Human Rights and the Human Rights Center “Viasna”.
