News on the topic: human rights defenders
04.04.2014 International human rights defenders: Journalists must testify about what is happening in Belarus
Robert Hårdh, Executive Director of Civil Rights Defenders, Maina Kiai, UN Special Rapporteur on the right of freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, and Margaret Sekaggya, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights Defenders, have addressed journalists during the Defenders' Days conference, which is currently underway in Sweden: "Every journalist who find themselves in an authoritarian country such as Belarus must have an obligation to stand up for free speech and report on human rights violations in such a country."
02.04.2014 “Viasna” representatives take part in human rights events in Sweden
These days in Stockholm, Days of Belarus are held by the human rights organization Östgruppen, and the second annual conference Defenders' Days - 2014 is held by Civil Rights Defenders.
02.04.2014 Civil Rights Defenders declare Ales Bialiatski Defender of the Year 2014
Ales Bialiatski , founder of the Belarusian human rights organisation Viasna, is the recipient of the 2014 Civil Rights Defender of the Year Award. For over 30 years, he has pursued a life of continuous struggle to campaign for democracy and human rights, first in the Soviet Union and then in Belarus.
02.04.2014 Hrodna human rights defenders are summoned to police again
Hrodna human rights defenders Uladzimin Khilmanovich, Raman Yurhel and Viktar Sazonau are to visit the Leninski District Police Department of Hrodna on April 3.
31.03.2014 Court of cassation confirms ban on Ales Bialiatski’s book
On March 31, the Hrodna Regional Court upheld the decision to ban Ales Bialiatski’s book “Asvechanyia Belarushchynai” (“Enlightened by Belarusian Issue”), having considered a cassation appeal by human rights defender Tatsiana Reviaka.
21.03.2014 Human Rights House Network: States should support human rights defenders
In March 2013, the Human Rights Council adopted a resolution on the protection of human rights defenders. It establishes principles and standards for States to create an enabling environment for human rights defenders. One year after its adoption, the Human Rights House Network calls upon States to implement this resolution.
20.03.2014 Biaroza police refuse to guard Freedom Day rally
Biaroza human rights defenders Siarhei Rusetski and Tamara Shchapiotkina have been unable to enter into a contract with the local police department in order to hold a picket scheduled for March 25. Police representatives referred to the fact that the Executive Committee had not written to them after it received an application for holding the picket, as provided by a Decree of the Council of Ministers of March 5, 2012, in order to discuss the possibility of maintaining public order at the mass event.
13.03.2014 Human rights defenders launch an interactive web resource for election observers
The campaign can be joined by any Belarusian citizen – he/she only has to file an online application form and send the results of observation at a concrete polling station.
07.03.2014 Barys Zvozskau Belarusian HRH against Russian intervention in Ukraine
On 3 March representatives of the Barys Zvozskau Belarusian HRH participated in the protest against the intervention of the Russian army in the territory of Ukraine. On 5 March 5 the ambassador of the Russian Federation in Lithuania received an appeal on behalf of the Belarusian HRH calling to avoid further escalation of the conflict.
05.03.2014 Constitutional court refuses to initiate bringing the national legislation in line with the international undertakings of the Republic of Belarus
Human rights activist Siarhei Housha received a letter signed by the head of the Secretariat of the Constitutional Court A. Karavai, stating that his appeal was considered on the grounds of Art. 22 of the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus on Judicial System and Status of Judges and the Law of the Republic of Belarus "On applications of citizens and legal persons".
05.03.2014 Homel authorities insist that the regulation "On Mass Events" doesn't concern pro-government communists
Homel City Executive Committee allows pro-government communists, Communist Party of Belarus, not to abide by requirements of its regulation on mass event. Such conclusion can be drawn from the answer, received from the CEC by Chairman of the Homel regional organization of the Belarusian Left Party “Fair World” Uladzimir Siakerka.
04.03.2014 Embassy of the Russian Federation refuses to accept the address of HRC “Viasna” concerning the events in the Ukraine
March 4, members of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" tried to pass to the Russian Ambassador to Belarus Alexander Surikov an appeal to the Russian authorities demanding to prevent further escalation of the conflict in Ukraine and immediately begin negotiations on matters affecting the interests of both countries.
26.02.2014 Human rights defender Barys Zvozskau would have been 65 today
Barys Zvozskau was born on February 26, 1949 in the town of Belogorsk (Russia). He graduated from the Leningrad Electrotechnical Institute with a degree in engineering. Later, Barys Zvozskau graduated from the Higher International Human Rights Course.
25.02.2014 Case files of Belarusian dissident Mikhail Kukabaka finally declassified
Seven and a half years of walking around the courts and numerous requests to various government agencies finally brought results, thanks to the tenacity of the famous Belarusian dissident, who has been repeatedly subjected to punitive psychiatry. This month Mikhail Kukabaka received a message stating that the materials of a number of forensic psychiatric examinations of 1970 and of subsequent years had been declassified.
24.02.2014 Observatory condemns continued harassment of Viasna
The Observatory has been informed of the continued harassment of the Human Rights Centre “Viasna” and the rejection by the Court of a complaint challenging the blackmailing of its website www.spring96.org.
