In the report, we explained that the rights to freedom of association and peaceful assembly are protected by criminal law. Nevertheless, these rights are being violated on a massive scale and the authorities have not brought the perpetrators to justice. We shared information about 777 organizations facing forced liquidation; at least 60 representatives of civil society organizations in places of detention, where they are constantly exposed to pressure; the disproportionate use of force at peaceful protests in 2020 led to numerous deaths of the participants, mass detentions, and torture. // 20.02.2023
The Council of Europe (CoE) has published a 15-point action plan to support the Belarusian democratic forces, including various activities, human rights courses, seminars on the European Convention on Human Rights, which will be held under the auspices of the CoE for representatives of Belarusian civil society.
The experts of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee see this plan as a generally good tool box for civil society and even more for the professional legal community. These tools will help Belarusian lawyers to prepare the legal system of Belarus for integration into the Council of Europe which would allow a harmonious existence in the space of European standards in general. // 04.02.2023
The liquidation of the MHG is part of the systematic policy of the Russian authorities to suppress critical voices and eliminate independent civil society against the background of the aggressive war, started by Russia against Ukraine. These repressive actions are gaining momentum and include the persecution by the Russian authorities of other leading Russian human rights organisations such as the liquidation of the International Society “Memorial” and Human Rights Center “Memorial”, the imposition of huge fines and the seizure of the property of “Memorial” and the Sakharov Center, a significant tightening of the legislation on ”foreign agents“ at the end of last year, etc. // 30.01.2023
On 16 December 2022 Ekaterina Kouznetsova, an expert of the "Fifth Republic" project and international lawyer, met for an interview with human rights defender and chairman of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee Aleh Hulak. This conversation was the last for the Belarusian lawyer - on the same day Aleh Hulak unexpectedly passed away at the age of 56. In his last public interview he explains whether human rights can be a subject of political debate, whether they should become the basis of the philosophy of the new Belarus, and whether it is possible to build a healthy society in a country where the term “human rights” has become an invective. // 20.01.2023
By the assessment of the BHC, such actions of the Belarusian authorities violate Article 2 of ILO Convention No. 87, which provides that workers have the right to establish organizations of their own choice without prior permission and the right to join such organizations, and Article 11, which provides that the state undertakes to take all necessary and appropriate measures to guarantee workers and employers the right to participate in trade unions. Finally, such treatment violates the right to freedom of association, including the right to form and join trade unions, as provided for in article 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. // 11.01.2023
