News on the topic: human rights defenders
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 Front Line Defenders: Human rights defender Pavel Levinov detained and in critical health condition
On 26 March 2017, human rights defender Pavel Levinov was arrested by police from the Oktyabrsky District in Vitebsk city on the charge of participating in an unauthorised peaceful assembly. He was initially kept in a temporary detention centre. Later that day, he was hospitalised after suffering a hypertensive crisis.
29.03.2017 ENEMO Condemns Crackdown on its Member Organizations in Belarus
The European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations (ENEMO) is deeply alarmed by the crackdown on civil society and human rights defenders in Belarus in connection to the Freedom Day demonstrations.
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 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 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 150 persons convicted today
Up to 150 persons have been convicted today on charges of involvement in the protests staged in various parts of Belarus on March 25 and 26. These include human rights defenders and journalists.
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.
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.
25.03.2017 Viasna office raided by police. 57 people briefly detained
The Minsk-based office of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" was raided by the police at around 1 pm today. 57 persons were detained, but soon released.
23.03.2017 Polish MPs urge Belarus to halt repression and start dialogue with civil society
On March 23, the Sejm of the Republic of Poland hosted parliamentary hearings with representatives of political parties and civil society of Belarus. Participants included, in particular, chairman of the Belarusian Association of Journalists Andrei Bastunets and Chairman of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" Ales Bialiatski.
23.03.2017 48 organizations from 24 countries "strongly condemn the continuing wave of detentions and harassment" in Belarus
We, 48 undersigned organizations from 24 countries, strongly condemn the continuing wave of detentions and harassment of peaceful protesters, journalists, human rights defenders, civil society activists, anarchists and opposition party members in Belarus.
17.03.2017 Human rights defender Anatol Paplauny sentenced to 10 days in jail
Anatol Paplauny, Viasna's representative in Homieĺ, has been sentenced today to 10 days of administrative arrest on charges of involvement in a protest on February 19.
