16.01.2020 Human Rights Situation in Belarus in 2019
In spite of a slight decrease in the overall level of repression in the country compared with the previous year, in 2019 Belarus failed to demonstrate any significant systemic changes in the area of civil and political rights, especially at the legislative level, aimed at the qualitative improvement of the human rights situation.
14.01.2020 UN experts condemn Roma arrests in May 2019
The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention expressed serious concern about the mass detentions that were carried out in the Roma settlements of Mahilioŭ and other Belarusian cities in May 2019 and were accompanied by insults and physical violence by law enforcement officials.
10.01.2020 Two men sentenced to death in Čerykaŭ
Two men, Illia Kostseu and Stanislau Kostseu, have been sentenced to death at a visiting session of the Mahilioŭ Regional Court held today in the town of Čerykaŭ. Judge Mikhail Melnikau found the two brothers, aged 21 and 19, respectively, of killing their former school teacher and setting her house on fire to destroy the evidence.
04.01.2020 Human Rights Situation in Belarus: December 2019
The situation with human rights remained poor during the month. There was an overall deterioration of the situation in comparison to previous periods, which is primarily due to an increase in the number of cases of administrative responsibility targeting participants of peaceful assemblies.
31.12.2019 Happy New Year!
Dear friends, colleagues and associates! We wish you a happy New Year!
23.12.2019 EU, CoE, PACE call for moratorium in response to new execution in Belarus
The spokespersons of the European Union, the Council of Europe, and the CoE’s Parliamentary Assembly have once again called on the Belarusian authorities to introduce a moratorium on executions in Belarus. The statements were released after the news came of another execution in the continent’s last retentionist country.
20.12.2019 Belarus executes another death row prisoner
Death row prisoner Aliaksandr Asipovich was executed by shooting on December 17, according to the Mahilioŭ Regional Prosecutor’s Office.
19.12.2019 Dozens face charges ahead of new protests against Belarus-Russia integration
Nearly forty people have been summoned to the police over their involvement in two protests against planned integration with Russia held in central Minsk on December 7 and 8. The demonstrations were not allowed by the authorities and the city police department had warned the protesters against joining the assemblies.
17.12.2019 Reporters Without Borders: 389 journalists currently in prison worldwide
A total of 49 journalists were killed this year, 389 are currently in prison and 57 are being held hostage, according to the annual worldwide round-up of deadly violence and abusive treatment against journalists, released today by Reporters Without Borders (RSF). Journalism remains a dangerous profession but the number of journalists killed this year is at its lowest in 16 years.
13.12.2019 Picks of the week
Women's rights activists stage artistic protest on Human Rights Day; critical blogger cleared of criminal charges; more people convicted in election aftermath.
11.12.2019 Ales Bialiatski wins Franco-German prize for human rights and rule of law
Ales Bialiatski, chairman of the Human Rights Center “Viasna”, has been awarded the Franco-German Prize for Human Rights and the Rule of Law in 2019, the embassies of France and Germany in Belarus said.
10.12.2019 In Quest for More Equal Societies, Those Who Defend Human Rights Are Key Agents of Change
Address by Alice Mogwe, FIDH President, on Human Rights Day
06.12.2019 Picks of the week
After a summer lull, when only a few politically motivated cases of persecution were reported by the media, the fall saw a new wave of repression targeting opponents of the current regime.
05.12.2019 Election echo: more activists convicted of illegal protesting
At least eight opposition activists have been found guilty of joining the illegal demonstrations held in central Minsk in November.
03.12.2019 Human Rights Situation in Belarus: November 2019
On November 17, elections of members of the House of Representatives of the 7th convocation were held in Belarus. The only domestic citizen monitoring group, “Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections”, came to the conclusion that the elections of deputies of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the seventh convocation, in general, did not meet a number of key international standards for democratic and free elections, and the electoral legislation of the Republic of Belarus.
