News on the topic: human rights defenders
16.02.2015 Viasna activists meet with representatives of Norwegian PEN Center (video)
On 16 February, William Nygaard, President of the Norwegian PEN Center, and writer Erling Kitelsen visited the office of the Human Rights Center “Viasna”, where they discussed the human rights situation in Belarus with Viasna leaders.
16.02.2015 Ales Bialiatski: I brought home 40,000 letters from prison
A meeting with head of Viasna human rights centre Ales Bialiatski and a presentation of his book Mercuric Silver of Life were held in Brest. The former political prisoner wrote the book in prison. Ales Bialiatski was released after his book had been published. About 30 people came to the event, Radio Svaboda reports.
13.02.2015 Office of Prosecutor General forwards complaint about impossibility to learn in Belarusian to Ministry of Education
The parents of the pupils of the former Belarusian-language form in Baranavichy Tatsiana and Aleh Malashchanka and Antanina and Vasil Filipchyk received a letter from the Office of the Prosecutor General of Belarus, signed by a senior prosecutor Department for Supervision of the rights and freedoms of citizens V. Kukso.
13.02.2015 Appeal of distributor of “Vitebsk Kuryer” registered at UN Human Rights Committee
The appeal of Mikhail Zhurauliou, filed under the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, was registered under the number 2495/2014. The official note about it was received by human rights activist Pavel Levinau, who assisted in drawing the appeal.
12.02.2015 Yury Rubtsou faces new criminal case
February 11, Chairman of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" Ales Bialiatski and deputy chairmanValiantsin Stefanovich visited political prisoner Yury Rubtsou in the open correctional facility located in the village of Kuplin in Pruzhany district.
11.02.2015 Total sum of fines for participants of Memorial Day in Svislach is 38,250,000 roubles
Hrodna human rights defenders summed up the fines issued to participants of the memorial action in honour of the insurgents of 1863-1864, held in the town on October 26, 2014 in the town of Svislach and in the village of Yakushouka, where the mansion of the Kalinouskis (the organizers of the anti-Russian uprising) was situated.
10.02.2015 Baranavichy: new ruling of the executive committee further complicates conduct of mass events
This is the conclusion made by local human rights defenders and civil society activists after familiarizing with the new ruling of the Baranavichy City Executive Committee of December 29, 2014 № 3778 "On mass events in Baranavichy and Repeal of certain decisions of the Baranavichy City Executive Committee". The new ruling was published in the official newspaper "Nash Krai" February 6, 2015 in the column "advertising".
08.02.2015 Biaroza human rights defenders prepare two pickets
Biaroza human rights defenders have applied for entering into service contracts with the local hospital, public utilities services and the police for serving the pickets they intend to hold March 9 and 25.
06.02.2015 “My First Word”: action of solidarity held by human rights defenders
On February 5, members of the HRC “Viasna” held an action of solidarity with activists of the anarchist movement who had been groundlessly sentenced to short-term arrests.
05.02.2015 Cassation appeal of Elena Tonkacheva to be considered February 19
The cassation appeal of the head of the "Centre for Legal Transformation" Lawtrend" Elena Tonkacheva will be considered by the judicial board on civil cases of the Minsk City Court on February 19. The human rights activist wrote it at her facebook account.
04.02.2015 Human rights activists met with the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Belarus
Representatives of the leading Belarusian human rights organizations met with the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Belarus Miklos Haraszti. The event was held on February 2-3 in Vilnius as the Belarusian authorities do not recognize the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur and don't let him visit Belarus.
02.02.2015 UN Special Rapporteur not let in Belarus
In May, the issue of extending the powers of the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Belarus is to be decided.
28.01.2015 Russian Court Rejects Bid To Close Rights Group Memorial
The Russian Supreme Court has rejected the Justice Ministry's request for the closure of Memorial, one of the country's most respected human rights groups.
28.01.2015 Monitoring of the situation with human rights in Belarus: October-December 2014
The aim of the monitoring is highlighting short-term tendencies in the spheres of human rights, social, political and economic situation in Belarus.
27.01.2015 Anastasiya Loika: Circuit courts not conducive to openness
After a series of circuit court hearings held at the police department of the Tsentralny district in Minsk, which caused much indignation, the official website of the Supreme Court published an official message providing “explanations regarding an incorrect media report”.
