News on the topic: FIDH
09.10.2017 Death Penalty in Belarus: Secret Executions in the Middle of Europe
Minsk-Paris, 6 October 2017. Ahead of the International Day against the Death Penalty on the 10th of October, our organisations recall that executions continue to take place in the middle of Europe. Detained in conditions amounting to torture, in constant psychological anguish caused by the uncertainty of the timing of their execution, prisoners in Belarus are being killed in secrecy.
11.07.2017 Observatory calls on immediate release of Turkish human rights defenders
The Observatory has been informed by reliable sources about the arbitrary arrest and detention of eight human rights defenders in Turkey.
11.07.2017 Bahrain: Nabeel Rajab sentenced to two years in prison
According to the information received, on July 10, 2017, Manama’s Lower Criminal Court handed down a two years’ prison sentence against Mr. Nabeel Rajab. Mr. Rajab, who is at the hospital since April 8, 2017 (see background information), was sentenced in absentia.
09.06.2017 FIDH: UN must demonstrate its capacity to react
Facing criticism once again, the Human Rights Council must demonstrate its relevance at its June session which opened yesterday. Belarus, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, among others... FIDH and its members voice their priorities for this 35th session.
03.06.2017 Observatory condemns re-arrest and arbitrary detention of Pavel Levinau
The Observatory has been informed by reliable sources about the re-arrest and arbitrary detention of Mr. Pavel Levinau, human rights defender and board member of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee.
10.05.2017 Viasna still views Ministry of Justice’s decision on registration as predictable
The relevance of the issue is due to the preparation of an alternative report to the United Nations Human Rights Committee currently done by a coalition of human rights organizations. The HRC experts included a request for clarification of the situation with the refusal to register the Human Rights Center "Viasna" in the list of issues to be addressed in the framework of Belarus’ reporting to the Committee.
26.04.2017 BAHRAIN: Appeal to release Nabeel Rajab and Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja and concern over their deteriorating health
Joint appeal signed by 63 organisations around the world to release human rights defenders Nabeel Rajab and Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja who both require adequate medical care
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.
27.03.2017 FIDH and OMCT: HRC “Viasna” office unlawfully raided, dozens arrested
"At least 57 persons involved in the monitoring of ongoing peaceful protests, including foreign nationals from France, Germany, Ukraine and Russia, were arrested today at the office of Human Rights Centre “Viasna” in Minsk. The arrest took place ahead of peaceful protests to be held on March 25, 2017. Arrests of protesters, journalists and monitors are reportedly on-going," FIDH said on Saturday.
22.03.2017 Belarus: First death sentence in 2017
Paris-Minsk. FIDH and its member organisation in Belarus Human Rights Centre "Viasna" denounce the first death sentence in 2017 and regret the Belarusian authorities continue to ignore calls to render Europe a death penalty-free zone.
17.03.2017 Belarus crackdown: more than 200 arrested or detained in two weeks
The new repression of peaceful protesters currently ongoing in Belarus confirms the absence of political change, declared FIDH and Human Rights Center (HRC) Viasna today.
17.02.2017 Meanwhile in Belarus… To put an end to death penalty in Europe
In 2017, Belarus is still the only country in Europe to apply death penalty. Aiming to denounce and bring this grim reality to public attention, FIDH publishes in social networks a video "Meanwhile in Belarus".
08.02.2017 Human rights defenders: It is vital that Belarus remains on EU agenda
On February 7, a number of locations in Brussels hosted meetings of EU officials with the human rights defenders of Viasna, representatives of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), the UN Special Rapporteur on Belarus, as well as and the mother of Uladzislau Kavaliou, who was executed in 2012. The key issue for the discussion was the death penalty in Belarus.
21.12.2016 Overwhelming majority of states support universal moratorium on the death penalty. Belarus abstains
FIDH applauds the adoption of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution to establish a global moratorium on the death penalty, endorsed by an overwhelming majority on 19 December 2016. A record number of 117 States voted in favor of the text; 40 voted against it, and 31 abstained.
06.12.2016 FIDH concerned over upcoming constitutional referendum in Kyrgyzstan
The stability of the Constitution is the most important condition for a state’s development, a robust rule of law, and guarantees of compliance with human rights and freedoms.