Urgent call for immediate and unconditional release and for lifting the ungrounded travel ban of Belarusian human rights defender Aleh Volchak
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Young Front activist Raman Vasilyeu. Photo by svaboda.org
On 26 May, Raman Vasilyeu, activist of the Young Front opposition movement, was expected to be released after serving 12 days of arrest for public displaying of a white-red-white flag. However, the activist is now facing new charges and will stand trial this afternoon.
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Over the past number of days, in a flagrant denial of their right to freedom of movement, several Belarusian human rights defenders have been stopped by border guards while they were leaving Belarus, along with numerous political activists and journalists.
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On 29 May, Minsk Pershamaiski District Court sentenced civil activist Vasil Parfiankou to six months of arrest for violating the restrictions of a preventive supervision imposed by a court under Art. 421 of the Criminal Code.
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On 24 May 2012, human rights defender Mr Oleg Volchek was arrested and detained by police, and sentenced to nine days of administrative imprisonment. Oleg Volchek is a prominent human rights lawyer and director of the non-governmental organisation Pravovaya pomoshch naseleniyu (Legal Aid to Population), which was closed down by the Belarusian authorities in 2003.
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Continuation of unlawful practice of purposeful political persecution against the opponents of the regime in the country shows that in the field of civil rights and political freedoms the entirely destructive suppression system has formed here. It is aimed at purposeful and deliberate deprivation active citizens of their inalienable constitutional rights to freedom of association, peaceful assembly, dissemination of information and expression of views… Continue reading »
In the middle of the last year, Ministry of Justice refused founders Siarhey Kaliakin, Valery Ukhnaliou, Victar Korniayenka and 91 members to register the public association “For Fair Elections.” The Supreme Court confirmed the findings of the registering body, thereby putting members of the association in the illegal situation. Continue reading »
The UN Human Rights Committee has registered a complaint submitted by the For Free Elections campaign, a Belarusian NGO denied state registration by the Ministry of Justice back in mid 2011.
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AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
PUBLIC STATEMENT
18 May 2012
EUR 49/005/2012
Amnesty International’s position on the case of
Syarhei Kavalenka Continue reading »
Paval Sapielka, Miensk
21.05.2012 Viasna launches campaign to monitor penal system. All information concerning the analysis of penal law and penal system monitoring will be published in a thematic section on the website of the Human Rights Center “Viasna”. The section’s expert is lawyer Pavel Sapelka.
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Navanethem Pillay, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Summary
The present report is submitted in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 17/24, in which the Council requested the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to monitor the human rights situation in Belarus and to present to the Council, in an interactive dialogue at its twentieth session, a comprehensive report on the human rights situation in Belarus following the presidential election of 19 December 2010. Continue reading »
Seminar “Strategic lawsuit practices in human rights organizations. The implementation of de facto rules of international law”, organized under the initiative of Homiel Centre of strategic lawsuit took place in Chernigov. Continue reading »
On 8 May Siarhei Koneu, Judge of the Mahiliou Regional Court, turned down the appeal of civil activist against the verdict of the Leninski District Court of Mahiliou, according to which he had been sentenced to a fine for distributing the unregistered newspaper “Tut i Tsiaper” without a special distribution agreement.
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Valiantsin Stefanovich, the deputy head of the Human Rights Center “Viasna”
On 4 May the deputy head of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” Valiantsin Stefanovich filed a written application with the head of the Minsk City Court in connection with a gross violation of the legislation by Alena Siamak, a judge of the Tsentralny District Court of Minsk.
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Alaksiej Lapicki, in Vilnia
The article about the appeal of Homiel politician Vasil Paliakou to the UN Human Rights Committee on the fact of prohibition of the “National Assembly” and his subsequent administrative proceedings followed by his arrest and imprisonment still makes us ask a rhetorical question, with all our understanding of the situation in the country… That is, why don’t Belarusian authorities adopt the progressive experience of their colleagues from Vilnius))? As people say – “CHICKEN”?!
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On 4 May the vice-head o the United Civil Party and chairman of the Homel regional organization of the UCP Vasil Paliakou applied to the UN Human Rights Committee. The politician believes that the Belarusian authorities violated Article 19 and 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (the right to freedom of information and of peaceful assembly) by sentencing him to arrest for organizing the People’s Assembly.
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