News on the topic: freedom of peaceful assembly
05.04.2017 Human Rights Watch: Keep up pressure on Belarus to release detainees and respect fundamental freedoms
“Belarusian authorities led a shocking, all-out assault on peaceful assembly around the Freedom Day protests,” said Yulia Gorbunova, Belarus researcher at Human Rights Watch. “They should immediately release everyone who was detained in connection with the protests and investigate allegations of police mistreatment.”
30.03.2017 UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of peaceful assembly notified of detention of observers in Belarus
The Belarusian Helsinki Committee and the Human Rights Center "Viasna" have sent to Maina Kiai, UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of association, a joint message, which provided information about the detention of observers, human rights activists and journalists in Viasna’s office during a coordination meeting ahead of the Freedom Day demonstration on March 25.
29.03.2017 Observatory: Crackdown continues, more human rights defenders detained in Belarus
Paris-Geneva, March 29, 2017: Belarusian authorities continue to use detention to prevent human rights defenders from observing peaceful protests throughout the country. The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (FIDH-OMCT) deplores a new series of arrests, harassments and convictions and urges Belarusian authorities to release all detained human rights defenders and investigate allegations of ill-treatment.
29.03.2017 Belarus: UN Expert Decries Return Of Mass Violence Against Peaceful Protestors, Demands Release Of All Detained
The Special Rapporteur on human rights in Belarus, Miklós Haraszti, has expressed dismay over the Government’s open return to the policy of violent mass repression against peaceful demonstrators, non-governmental organizations, journalists and political opponents, and is calling on the authorities of Belarus to stop harassment and violence.
28.03.2017 Statistics of Freedom Day trials
On March 27, Minsk and the six regional cities of Belarus hosted trials of persons detained in the lead up to and during the protests of March 25-26. Human rights activists and observers monitored the trials.
28.03.2017 Germany's Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel on the demonstrations in Belarus
Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel issued the following statement today (28 March) on the demonstrations in Belarus
28.03.2017 Civic solidarity movement condemns mass detentions and police violence in Belarus
We, the undersigned members of the Civic Solidarity Platform (CSP), a coalition of human rights NGOs from Europe, the former Soviet Union region and North America, and other non-governmental organisations decry the mass detentions of peaceful demonstrators, journalists and human rights defenders, as well as the use of violence and abusive treatment targeting them in Belarus on 25-26 March 2017.
28.03.2017 Foreign Office statement on demonstrations in Belarus
Government of Belarus urged to respect right to peaceful protest
28.03.2017 EPDE calls on Belarusian authorities to release the peaceful protesters
On Saturday 25 March the Minsk office of the Belarusian EPDE-member organisation Human Rights Center Viasna was raided by the police. 57 human rights defenders, among them the Chairman of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, Aleh Hulak, also a member of EPDE, were detained. The lawyer of the HRC Viasna was hospitalized after he was beaten by the police.
27.03.2017 Rigoni calls for immediate release of detained Belarusian activists
Andrea Rigoni (ALDE, Italy), following his fact-finding visit to Minsk on 23-24 March 2017, called on the Belarusian authorities to stay focused on their path of dialogue with the Parliamentary Assembly and to immediately release all those who have been detained in connection with the March demonstrations and the annual 'Freedom Day' commemoration on 25th March.
27.03.2017 Report on monitoring a protest in Kastryčnickaja Square in Minsk. 26 March 2017
On 26 March 2017, a group of people gathered in Minsk's central square to protest against violent mass detentions during the peaceful assembly in Minsk the previous day.
26.03.2017 OSCE/ODIHR Director Link condemns undue restrictions on demonstrations and unnecessary use of force against peaceful protesters in Belarus
WARSAW, 26 March 2017 - Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, today condemned the reported undue restrictions on public assemblies and the unnecessary use of force by Belarusian authorities against peaceful protestors in Minsk and other cities in the country.
26.03.2017 More detentions across Belarus
The police detained today around a dozen demonstrators in Minsk's Kastryčnickaja Square, as they protested against yesterday's violent dispersal of a peaceful assembly in the city center that was attended by thousands of people.
26.03.2017 Belarus: Vicious crackdown on peaceful protests mars ‘Freedom Day’
Belarusian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release all those arrested before and during peaceful protests and end their vicious crackdown against demonstrators, Amnesty International said after dozens of ‘Freedom Day’ demonstrators were violently arrested and human rights observers detained.
26.03.2017 Statement of the United States Embassy in Minsk on the Prevention of Freedom Day Demonstrations
The United States notes with deep concern that authorities in Belarus failed to allow peaceful demonstrations in Minsk for the annual “Freedom Day” commemoration.
