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
On February 12, 2020, the Court of the Saviecki district of Minsk sentenced anarchists Mikita Yemialiyanau and Ivan Komar to seven years in prison each for damage to public property (Art. 341 of the Criminal Code), attempted intentional damage to property and intentional damage to property (Part 1 of Art. 14, Part 2 of Art. 218, Part 2 of Art. 218 of the Criminal Code), unlawful actions in respect of items the damaging effect of which is based on the use of combustibles (Part 2 of Art. 295-3 of the Code).
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.
Belarusian human rights organizations issued a joint position on the verge of the next following round of EU-Belarus dialog.
Joint statement by human rights organizations
On April 25, 2019, it was reported that the organizers of the annual procession of Čarnobyĺski Šliach were forced to withdraw their application earlier submitted to the Minsk City Executive Committee to request authorization of the march and the rally. The decision cites the excessive policing expenses imposed on the organizers of the event, which, according to available information, amounted to 5,737 rubles, or more than USD 2,000.
Joint statement by human rights and other civil society organizations
Minsk - April 2, 2019
On April 9, the court of the Lieninski district of Brest will open the trial in the criminal case against a famous Brest blogger Siarhei Piatrukhin.
The charges under Part 2 of Art. 188 (slander) and Part 2 of Art. 189 (insult) of the Criminal Code were brought on April 1 by the Brest interdistrict department of the Investigative Committee.
On November 13, 2018, the internal affairs department of the Maskoŭski district administration of Minsk ordered the deportation of Hanna Krasulina, a citizen of the Russian Federation and a spokesperson for the United Civil Party of Belarus, with a view to preserve public order through voluntary departure for the period of one year.
