The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

19.04.2015 Political prisoner Artsiom Prakapenka denied pardon

On April 17, political prisoner Artsiom Prakapenka phoned his family from the Mahilioŭ prison and said that he had been shown a response from the commission for pardon that rejected his request without explanation. Artsiom Prakapenka says he was not allowed to have a copy of the document.

18.04.2015 Political prisoner Yauhen Vaskovich not allowed to receive books

On April 17, political prisoner Yauhen Vaskovich was visited by his mother, father and grandmother. They brought him food stuffs and hygiene products, as well as a Belarusian translation of the Bible. Earlier, the prisoner was punished with solitary confinement for refusing to give the Bible to prison staff.

17.04.2015 Political prisoner Artsiom Prakapenka may be pardoned

According to the political prisoner’s father Anatol Prakapenka, his son, Artsiom Prakapenka, may be released in the near future after he sent a petition for clemency to the President back in February. Earlier, President Lukashenka publicly promised to release political prisoners in case they sought pardon. However, Artsiom Prakapenka is still in prison.

17.04.2015 Human rights activists urge members of intergovernmental organizations to visit Mikalai Statkevich

On April 17, the Legal Transformation Center and the Human Rights Center "Viasna" passed an urgent appeal to Mrs. Maira Mora, head of the European Union’s mission in Belarus, in connection with an increased pressure against political prisoner Mikalai Statkevich.

16.04.2015 ENEMO Calls Azerbaijan for Immediate Release of Anar Mammadli

The European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations (ENEMO) once again calls Azerbaijan Government for immediate release of Anar Mammadli of Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Centre (EMDS). EMDS chairman Anar Mammadli was imprisoned by the Court of Serious Crimes for 5.5 years respectively following the Azerbaijan presidential elections of October, 2013 when critical reports were published on the electoral process by Anar Mammadli and his colleagues.

15.04.2015 Ales Bialiatski meets Johannes Hahn ahead of his visit to Minsk

In the morning of April 15 in Brussels, the head of the HRC "Viasna" and FIDH Vice-President Ales Bialiatski met with European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy Johannes Hahn.

15.04.2015 Maryna Adamovich: EU politicians have been repeating the same mistake for 20 years

The Belarusian authorities increase pressure on political prisoners while holding a dialogue with the EU.

15.04.2015 The undying 'last' dictatorships of Europe

My name is Ales Bialiatski. If it had not been for the relentless mobilisation of the international community, the European Union in particular, I would be writing these words behind the bars of the Bobruisk high-security penal colony in south-eastern Belarus.

14.04.2015 Mikalai Statkevich to stand another trial

“The administration of the correctional colony has decided that he “hasn't mended his ways” and “intends to pursue a criminal lifestyle”, therefore his further detention in this highly moral institution is impossible,” wrote the prisoner's wife Maryna Adamovich at her Facebook account.

14.04.2015 Valiantsin Stefanovich: Unfortunately, not all European politicians want to see what is going on in Belarus

The situation that has developed around political prisoner Mikalai Statkevich is very symptomatic, showing that the Belarusian authorities, firstly, do not want to release political prisoners, and, secondly, only imitate a dialogue with the European Union.

13.04.2015 Baranavičy: social activists congratulate Statkevich Sr. on Easter

Baranavičy activists Mikalai Antanovich, Uladzimir Hundar and Viktar Syrytsa visited Vitar Statkevich, father of political prisoner Mikalai Statkevich, and congratulated him on Easter.

10.04.2015 Supervision over Eduard Lobau intensified

The former political prisoner Eduard Lobau is to return home before 8 p.m., and check in at the police department of Maskouski district every Thursday.

09.04.2015 Yury Rubtsou is keeping hunger strike in solitary confinement

As it became known to the Human Rights Centre "Viasna", the criminal case against Yury Rubtsou under Article 415 of the Criminal Code, "avoidance of serving punishment in the form of restriction of liberty", was instituted back on March 18.

09.04.2015 Political prisoners still behind bars while official Minsk is preparing for Summit in Riga

A thaw in the relations between the official Minsk and Brussels is not backed by any shift towards democratization in Belarus, states Chairman of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" Ales Bialiatski.