News on the topic: international organizations
29.06.2011 Freedom House: No progress in Belarus’ democracy ratings
The US-based Freedom House international NGO has released its annual report “Nations in Transit 2011”, providing a comparative study of democratic development in 29 countries, including Belarus.
24.06.2011 International Observation Mission condemns obstruction to mass media
The International Observation Mission expresses deep concern about the fact that recent months have demonstrated the negative effects of the Law of the Republic of Belarus “On Mass Media” in the part of regulating the professional activities of foreign mass media.
22.06.2011 Amnesty International: Unprecedented deterioration in the human rights situation in Belarus
Amnesty International says in its report that clampdown on dissenting voices continues unabated in Belarus six months after the country’s presidential elections.
12.05.2011 Uta Zapf denied entry to Belarus
Uta Zapf, Chair of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Ad Hoc Working Group of Belarus, intended to come to Belarus to attend the trial of the presidential candidate Mikalai Statkevich.
22.04.2011 Belarus declares war on Ukrainian civil society
On 21 April, another Ukrainian human rights defender Mikhail Kamenev was not able to enter Belarus after he was declared an “unwelcome” person by the country’s authorities. Mikhail Kamenev, deputy chair of the All-Ukrainian youth organization “Foundation of Regional Initiatives” and member of the Public Council of the Ukrainian Interior Ministry, was not allowed crossing the Belarusian border, as he was going to Minsk as information aid to head of the International Observation Mission of the Committee of International Control over the Human Rights Situation in Belarus.
20.04.2011 Members of International Observation Mission still deported from Belarus
The Kyiv human rights defender Maryna Tsapok was going to Belarus to help the International Observing Mission of the Committee for International Control over the situation with HR in Belarus. She is one of the initiators of the civil campaign For Open Entry to the Republic of Belarus in Ukraine.
18.04.2011 PACE Political Affairs Committee: investigation into the “mass disorders” raise serious concerns
The Political Affairs Committee of the CE Parliamentary Assembly has released an information note on developments following the adoption of PACE Resolution 1790 (2011) “The situation in Belarus in the aftermath of the presidential election” of 27 January 2011 condemning the violent repression of political protests.
18.04.2011 Freedom House: Belarus Internet Freedom Status -- Not Free
The Freedom House international NGO that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom and human rights has released its annual Internet Freedom report entitled "Freedom on the Net 2011".
15.04.2011 Parliaemntary Assembly of the Council of Europe urges US, Japan and Belarus to abolish the death penalty
On 14 April the Assembly today urged the US and Japan, as observer states to the Council of Europe, and Belarus, which aspires to membership, to join the growing consensus among democratic countries that protect human rights and human dignity by abolishing the death penalty. In a resolution based on a report by Renate Wohlwend (Liechtenstein, EPP/CD), PACE said: “The European experience has shown conclusively that the death penalty is not needed to check violent crime, and that political leaders who led the way towards abolition did not suffer any backlash from public opinion.”
07.04.2011 Belarusian authorities don’t want any independent investigation into 19 December events
The Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs refuses to assist an independent investigation of the events within the frames of the OSCE Moscow Mechanism.
05.04.2011 Ministry of Justice demands explanations from Belarusian Association of Journalists
The Ministry of Justice wants the BAJ to explain “the legal grounds for activity of the International Federation of Journalists on the territory of Belarus” and the grounds on which its press-cards s are issued by the Belarusian Association of Journalists. This is stated in the official letter of the ministry, dated 1 April and signed by A.Kirychenka, Chair of the NGOs department.
05.04.2011 Public coalition for the EU-Belarus visa-free movement launched
A number of well-known Belarusian NGOs and think tanks have joined forces within a public VISA-FREE coalition. Assisted by partners from EU member states, Belarusians are going to advocate the idea of visa-free travel between Belarus and other European countries.
31.03.2011 OSCE office in Minsk is closed
Head of the office, German diplomat Benedict Haller, leaves Belarus today.
30.03.2011 European Criminal Bar Association condemns disbarment of Belarusian lawyers
The European Criminal Bar Association (ECBA) was informed by the Human Right Committee of the Polish Bar and other sources of attempts by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus to initiate and endorse restrictions and disbarment against several lawyers who have undertaken the defence of persons suspected or accused of participating in the events that took place in Minsk on 19–20 December 2010.
18.03.2011 Belarus representatives duck dialogue at UN Human Rights Council
On 14 March, the 16th session of the UN Human Rights Council adopted a joint statement on the situation in Belarus, which was signed by 45 countries, including all the EU members. The statement calls the Belarusian authorities and President Aliaksandr Lukashenka in particular to promptly and unconditionally release and rehabilitate all the persons arrested on political grounds after the 19 December 2010 election.
