The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

27.11.2013 Valiantsin Stefanovich petitions Constitutional Court over language discrimination

Valiantsin Stefanovich, Deputy Chairman of the Human Rights Center "Viasna", submitted a petition to the Constitutional Court to highlight the issue of discrimination on linguistic grounds, as there is virtually no lawmaking in the Belarusian language. This complicates the process of protecting the interests of Belarusian-speaking citizens in courts and other state bodies.

12.09.2013 Artists Drazdou and Pushkin apply to the UN

On 2 September 2012 the artists Henadz Drazdou, Ales Pushkin, Ales Tsyrkunou and Valiantsin Varanishcha, as well as the public activist Uladzimir Shulzhytski walked along the streets of Smarhon with portrats of an activist of the anti-Soviet resistance movement Rastsislau Lapitski. They were detained by the police and charged with participation in an unauthorized mass event.

12.08.2013 “Paperwork in Belarusian!” launches a campaign for an extensive use of the Belarusian language in lawsuits

As a part of the nationwide campaign "Let's do better!", the Civil Initiative "Paperwork in Belarusian!" launched a campaign to extend the use of the Belarusian language in civil court proceedings.

04.07.2013 Salihorsk UCP activist sues local state-run TV channel over language discrimination

A member of the United Civil Party, Viktar Malochka, filed a lawsuit to the Court of Salihorsk district against local state-owned TV channel. The decision to sue the TV channel is linked to failure of the latter to put on the air in March 2013 a greeting on the 95th anniversary of the Belarusian People’s Republic and repeated replies in Russian.

08.05.2013 Teacher persuades pupils not to take exams in Belarusian

A conflict with school-leavers took place in secondary school #4 in Ivatsevichy. In one of the forms, more than a half of pupils chose the Belarusian language as a final exam.

03.05.2013 Does publication of newspaper in Belarus violate the equality of state languages?

In February members of Slonim branch of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy gathered 39 signatures under an address to the chief editor of the “Slonimski Vestnik” newspaper, calling to return the Belarusian language to its pages, which had been completely replaced by Russian.

17.04.2013 Salihorsk authorities reject proposals for improving language equality

Salihorsk office of the Belarusian Language Society received a reply to its statement urging the officials to bring the names of local executive bodies in compliance with the Constitution and the Law “On Languages.” Among other things, the BSL demanded to translate the signs on the buildings of Salihorsk district executive committee and the district council of deputies into the Belarusian language, the entrances to which are still decorated with signs only in Russian.

15.04.2013 Henik Loika's victory

After the protest action held by architect Henik Loika near Minsk gymnasium #4, the educational establishment was prescribed to return to the Belarusian language of instruction.

15.04.2013 Salihorsk officials misinform people about existence of Belarusian-language kindergarten

The head of Salihorsk District Council, Lidziya Klishevich, and the head of Salihorsk District Executive Committee, Aliaksandr Rymasheuski, mislead the public.

20.03.2013 Salihorsk Belarusian-speaking activists fight for language rights

A number of residents of the town of Salihorsk have addressed local authorities with an appeal to secure the actual equality of the Belarusian language with the other state language, Russian, as required by Article 17 of the Constitution and the Law “On Languages in the Republic of Belarus”.

Extensive use of Belarusian language in sports, advertisement, social services and networks declared a priority of "Office Work in Belarusian!" in 2013

07.03.2013 Extensive use of Belarusian language in sports, advertisement, social services and networks declared a priority of "Office Work in Belarusian!" in 2013

The civil initiative "Office Work in Belarusian!" submitted letters with proposals on the extension of the use of the Belarusian to all regional, city and village executive committees.

06.03.2013 Minsk City Court upholds 5-day arrest to Henik Loika

Minsk City Court considered the appeal of sculptor Henik Loika against the verdict of Liudmila Lapo, Judge of Frinzenski District Court of Minsk. Let us remind that Mr. Loika had been punished with 5 days of arrest for an action in support of the Belarusian language held by him on the International Mother Language Day, 21 February. The formal reason for the verdict was that he had unfurled a banner with the inscription "Let me congratulate you on the International Mother Language Day! Gymnasium #4 used to be the last Belarusian-language school!"

04.03.2013 Belarusian language is squeezed out of district state-owned press

Members of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party hold an action in support of the use of the Belarusian language in the pages of the local state-owned press.

26.02.2013 Salihorsk executive committee ignores calls for language equality

Uladzimir Masakouski, deputy chairman of Salihorsk city office of the organization “Belarusian Language Society”, is urging local authorities to secure the practical implementation of the equal status of the Belarusian and Russian languages enshrined in the country’s legislation. However, he keeps receiving bureaucratic runaround replies.