News on the topic: political prisoners
30.09.2021 At least 439 people sent to prisons on protest charges: One year after first sentence in post-election trials
One year ago, on September 29, 2020, the first politically motivated verdict was passed for the events related to the rigged presidential election. On that day, Pavel Piaskou and Uladzislau Yeustsihneyeu were convicted under Part 2 of Art. 363 of the Criminal Code for resisting riot police officers during a rally on June 19, in which a riot policeman pulled out a gun to threaten unarmed protesters.
30.09.2021 Imprisoned punk rocker Ihar Bantsar to spend remainder of term in penal colony
The decision was taken in response to a request by the administration of correctional facility No. 9 in Viciebsk, where the man had already served three and a half months.
29.09.2021 Human rights defenders demand retrials and release of four new political prisoners
Statement by the human rights community of Belarus
29.09.2021 Political prisoner Natallia Hersche to be sent to maximum-security mail prison
Political prisoner Natallia Hersche will serve the remainder of her 2 ½-year sentence in a maximum-security prison, after spending nearly 12 months in a general-security penal colony, RFE/RL’s Belarus service learned from Natallia’s brother Henadz Kasiyan.
29.09.2021 MPs from Germany, Switzerland and Ukraine adopt political prisoners Piotr and Yuliya Marchanka, Alena Talkachova and Mikhail Ferenets
As part of Libereco’s #WeStandBYyou solidarity campaign, Filiz Polat (German Bundestag, Bündnis90/Die Grünen), Martina Munz (Swiss National Council, SP) and Yulia Klymenko (Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada, Holos) are are taking over godparenthood for political prisoners in Belarus.
28.09.2021 Human rights groups call to release detained trade union activists
Joint statement by Belarusian human rights organizations
28.09.2021 Court increases term for political prisoner Dzmitry Kubarau
The Zavodski District Court of Minsk handed down a verdict in a new trial against political prisoner Dzmitry Kubarau, who was earlier sentenced to seven years in a medium-security penal colony on charges of “organizing mass riots” (Part 1 of Article 293 of the Criminal Code).
27.09.2021 HRDs call to release 6 more political prisoners
Joint statement by the Belarusian human rights community
27.09.2021 #FreeViasna: Weekly news digest on Viasna’s imprisoned human rights defenders
On September 17, dozens of Belarusian and international human rights groups launched #FreeViasna, the campaign of solidarity with the imprisoned human rights activists of Viasna. Here’s the latest news about the Viasna members held behind bars.
25.09.2021 Happy birthday, Ales!
Today Ales Bialiatski, founder and leader of the Human Rights Center "Viasna", celebrates his birthday.
24.09.2021 14 new political prisoners
Joint statement by the Belarusian human rights community
23.09.2021 Happy birthday! Human rights activists from different countries congratulate Leanid Sudalenka on his 55th anniversary
Today, September 23, human rights activist Leanid Sudalenka, who is now behind bars, turns 55. And today Leanid is receiving congratulations from his colleagues – human rights activists from different countries and organizations.
22.09.2021 MPs from Germany, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands adopt political prisoners Uladzimir and Nadzeya Kalach, Dzmitry Panko and Uladzislau Makavetski
As part of Libereco’s #WeStandBYyou solidarity campaign, Helmut Scholz (Germany, European Parliament, Die Linke), Tomáš Martínek (Czech Republic, Poslanecká sněmovna Parlamentu, Pirate Party) and Thijs Reuten (Netherlands, European Parliament, Partij van de Arbeid) are taking over godparenthoods of political prisoners in Belarus.
22.09.2021 2 political prisoners walk free after ‘home confinement’ verdicts
Political prisoners Rastsislau Shavel and Pavel Yaitski have been sentenced to three and two years of restricted freedom (home confinement), respectively, after they were found guilty of involvement in “group actions that grossly violate public order” (Art. 342 of the Criminal Code).
21.09.2021 “Dark things are done behind closed doors”: Leanid Sudalenka writes about his trial
Viasna’s office in Homieĺ published excerpts from the letters human rights defender Leanid Sudalenka has sent to a local activist Vasil Paliakou, which reveal some details about the closed trial currently underway at the Centraĺny District Court.