Joint statement by human rights organizations of Belarus
Minsk - August 10, 2020
We, representatives of Belarusian human rights organizations, strongly protest against the actions of law enforcement agencies against peaceful demonstrators.
Joint statement of human rights and other civil society organizations of Belarus
Minsk - July 10, 2020
On July 8, the Saviecki District Court of Minsk ruled to sentence Pavel Seviarynets to 15 days of administrative detention. According to the court ruling, Seviarynets called to join an unauthorized mass event near the Kamarouski market in Minsk on June 7, which violated the rules of organizing and holding assemblies established by the Law “On Mass Events” and accordingly committed an offense under Art 23.34 of the Code of Administrative Offenses.
Minsk - June 19, 2020
Minsk - June 11, 2020
We note the continuing crackdown on activists, civil society organizations and ordinary citizens in May 2020, despite calls from the country’s human rights community, international organizations and UN experts.
Statement by the human rights community of Belarus on the criminal charges against Siarhei Tsikhanouski and six other participants in the May 29 picket in Hrodna
Minsk - June 9, 2020
On May 29, during a picket held in Hrodna to collect signatures in support of the presidential nomination of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, police detained the head of her nomination group, blogger known for a popular YouTube channel “Country for Living” Siarhei Tsikhanouski and at least 15 other people who took part in the picket.
On March 25, Siarhei Satsuk, journalist and chief editor of the Internet daily “Ezhednevnik”, was arrested in Minsk. He was remanded in custody on March 26. On March 26 and 27, searches were carried out at Ezhednevnik’s office and in Satsuk’s apartment; office equipment and documents were seized.
It was known recently that in Belarus 52 thousand signatures were collected for the appeal to the Presidential Administration demanding "initiating the adoption of a law on prohibition of propaganda and public demonstration of homosexuality and other sexual perversions to minors and criminalizaiton of these actions in the Criminal Code." Furthermore, mass media published the Health Ministry‘s response to the collective appeal stating that «The Ministry stands for the promotion of traditional family values and supports the following proposals regarding the draft Law “On Amending Codes on A
The trial in the criminal case of anarchist activist Dzmitry Paliyenka has been scheduled for September 25. The hearing will be held behind closed doors at the Minsk City Court.
Dzmitry Paliyenka, who was earlier called a political prisoner by the Belarusian human rights community and a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International, was again arrested by police on March 20, 2019, on suspicion of committing particularly malicious hooliganism (using pepper spray against a citizen following a verbal conflict) and placed in pre-trial detention.
Statement on the criminal prosecution of Ales Lipai, director of the BelaPAN news agency, and pressure on journalists in Belarus
A number of Belarusian human rights organizations have signed a petition to President Lukashenka, asking him to pardon political prisoner Mikhail Zhamchuzhny and release him from prison (full text in russian).
