It became known on 11 July 2023 that the Belarusian political prisoner, artist Aleś Puškin [Ales Pushkin] died in the hospital’s intensive care unit. According to reports, he developed peritonitis due to untimely medical care, resulting in a septic condition and multiple organ failure.
We state that the initiative of the Prosecutor General's Office is an unjustified interference of the state in the personal life of citizens. It contradicts the international obligations of the Republic of Belarus in the sphere of human rights, including sexual and reproductive rights, as well as poses a threat to various vulnerable groups (including, but not limited to the LGBTQ community, teenagers, women).
The initiative contradicts a number of basic human rights:
Belarusian authorities should immediately end the ill-treatment of Maria Kalesnikava and all the other political prisoners, 24 international and Belarusian rights groups said today. Kalesnikava is being held in solitary confinement and is not receiving adequate medical care despite serious health problems. She is being denied essential foods and medicines.
On May 24, 2023, a video was published on the official account of the Faculty of Law of Belarusian State University on Instagram, where a student of the Faculty of Law of Belarusian State University “confesses” to disseminating “discrediting information regarding the administration of the Faculty of Law, as well as information discrediting the Belarusian Republican Youth Union of the Faculty of Law.” We, Belarusian human rights organizations, draw attention to the fact that the creation and distribution of such videos is unacceptable and is an illegal action.
Statement by the human rights community of Belarus
On May 7, 2023, it was reported that political prisoner Mikalai Klimovich died in Penal Colony No. 3, Vićba town. He was convicted under Article 368 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus (“insulting the president”). At present, the cause of death and other circumstances leading to this tragedy are unknown. In light of another political prisoner's death in Belarus, we believe it is necessary to make the following statement.
We, Belarusian human rights organizations, strongly protest against the recognition of the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) as an extremist formation and express solidarity with our colleagues.
We, Belarusian human rights organizations, strongly protest against the indictment brought against leaders and members of the Viasna Human Rights Centre and express our solidarity with them and their colleagues.
We, non-governmental organisations – members of the international Civic Solidarity Platform, condemn the decision of the authorities of the Russian Federation to liquidate the Moscow Helsinki Group (MHG), a member and one of the founders of our network. MHG is the oldest Russian human rights organisation, a pioneering organisation within the human rights movement in our region and a symbol of the fight against totalitarianism, protection of human rights and the implementation of the principles of the 1975 Helsinki Final Act.
On February 24, 2022, the military forces of the Russian Federation began an invasion of Ukraine. This is called by Russian Federation a “special operation”, but we must be blunt: a war has begun, and Russia is an aggressor country, while Belarus has been involved in this war as an aggressor’s ally.
The Belarusian human rights community is convinced that the actions of the Russian Federation are unfounded and inadequate, they are morally indefensible.
Over the past year, Belarusian civil society organizations have been under constant pressure and judicial persecution. This includes smear campaigns in the government-controlled media, criminal cases against civil society activists, numerous audits, police raids, detentions, and forced liquidations.
