13.05.2010 The authorities spent too much time thinking about abolition of Article 193.1

The Ministry of Justice again confirms the intention of the authorities to eliminate from the Criminal Code of Belarus Article 193.1 that envisages punishment for activities on behalf of unregistered organizations.

13.05.2010 Belarusian NGOs and international community discuss the situation of human rights in Belarus

Representatives of the Belarusian NGOs held a number of events on 12 May in Geneva that were connected with the report of the Belarusian authorities within the guidelines of the procedure of the Universal Periodical Review at the UN Human Rights Council.

11.05.2010 OSCE is concerned with pressurization of media in Belarus

An OSCE representative slams persecution of the Belarusian journalists and criminal cases against charter97.org website.

05.05.2010 Inter-Parliamentary Union reminds authorities about disappearance of Hanchar and Krasouski

The Governing Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union unanimously adopted the resolution on disappeared Belarusian opposition leaders.

30.04.2010 PACE freezes contacts with Belarusian regime

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe freezes high-level contacts with Belarus due to violation of democratic standards.

The resolution was adopted by a majority of votes at a PACE session in Strasbourg on April 29.

The resolution was adopted with 58 out of 67 votes in favour, 6 against and 3 abstentions, BelaPAN reports.

27.04.2010 Council of Europe: We have serious barriers for rapproachmenet with Minsk

The Chair of the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers, Micheline Calmy-Rey has called upon the Belarusian government to redouble efforts in the cause of rapproachment to this organisation.

19.04.2010 International Report Demands Radical Reform of Belarus Media

Today, on 19 April international media and press freedom organisations issued " For Free and Fair Media in Belarus", a report calling for far reaching reforms of the media in Belarus.

14.04.2010 International Federation for Human Rights adopted resolution on situation in Eastern Europe and Central Asia

The 37th Congress of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) took place on 6-8 April in Yerevan. A number of urgent resolutions were adopted by the organization, including the Resolution on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders and the Appalling State of Fundamental Freedoms in Eastern Europe and Central Asia that was presented by the Human Rights Center 'Viasna'. Here we propose to your attention the full text of this document.

09.04.2010 International human rights community condemns execution of Andrei Zhuk and Vasil Yuzepchuk

A wide range of foreign and international human rights organizations addressed Aliaksandr Lukashenka and Siarhei Sikorski with a joint statement to condemn the ongoing use of the death penalty in Belarus. Here we present to your attention the full text of the address.

07.04.2010 Official Minsk whitewashes itself before UN

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus has passed to the UN Human Rights Committee the National Report on the situation of fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens within the guidelines of the Universal Periodical Review, a procedure that had been established by the UN Human Rights Council in 2006. This is the first time that such a large document is received from Belarus. The report will be heard at the session of the Human Rights Council in May.

01.04.2010 UN Human Rights Committee deplores recent executions in Belarus

The UN Human Rights Committee has deplored the recent execution of two death row inmates in Belarus, BelaPAN reports.

26.03.2010 European HR organizations condemn detention of Viasna activists

Civil Rights Defenders (Sweden), Belarusian Human Rights House (Lithuania), Human Rights House Foundation (Norway) and the Norwegian Helsinki Committee condemn the detention of three activists of the Human Rights Center ‘Viasna’. "They were supposed to have applied for permission to assembly, but since the organisation they represent has been denied official registration several times, the application would not have been granted. In practice their right to assembly is severely restricted" says AneTusvik Bonde, Regional Manager at the Human Rights House Foundation.

23.03.2010 Council of Europe condemns executions in Belarus

The Council of Europe strongly condemns the execution of Andrei Zhuk and of Vasily Yuzepchuk in Belarus. Death penalty is barbaric and degrading, and this is why it has been abolished by the Council of Europe through Protocol 6 to the European Convention on Human Rights. The authorities of Belarus are the only remaining ones in Europe who execute people.

18.03.2010 Over 110 cities against Europe's last dictatorship

Tomorrow, on Thursday 18th March 2010, the Young European Federalists (JEF) and numerous global partners will protest against Europe's last standing dictatorship on the fourth anniversary of the disputed presidential elections in Belarus.

17.03.2010 Committee to Protect Journalists denounces police raids on independent journalists in Belarus

The US-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has condemned Tuesday`s wave of police raids targeting independent reporters in Belarus.