The human rights defenders from many international nongovernmental organisations, including the Human Rights House Foundation (Norway), Article 19 (UK), the Belarusian Human Rights House in exile (Lithuania), Civil Belarus (Czech Republic), Belarus Watch (Lithuania), expressed their deep concern over the detention of a number of students and teachers of the Vilnius-based European Humanities University (EHU).

Call to release EHU students
International human rights organisations call upon the Belarusian authorities to promptly release all the EHU students and teachers, detained by Belarusian law-enforcement agencies, to provide access to professional medical aid and to secure free use of political and civil rights by the citizens of Belarus.

A joint letter of concern was sent  to the Belarusian authorites on 21 December and was signed by over 50 Human Rights House Network partners from 15 countries. The letter calls on the government to immediately release journalists, human rights defenders and peaceful protesters from detention, and to stop further persecution of those arrested for peacefully expressing their opinion.

Hundreds beaten, 600 arrested
“Article 19 strongly condemns the arrests and beatings of journalists, human rights defenders and opposition candidates, and calls for their immediate release. We also urge the Belarus government to impartially investigate the incidents and bring the perpetrators of violence to justice,” stated Agnes Callamard, Executive Director of Article 19.

“Hundreds were beaten, including the presidential candidates Vladimir Nekliaev (below), Vital Rymasheuski and Andrei Sannikov. According to official information, more than 600 people were arrested. Seven of the ten presidential candidates were detained, while the eighth candidate, Vladimir Nekliaev, was kidnapped from the hospital by civilian men. Many closed administrative trials against demonstrators and criminal cases against the presidential candidates and members of their official teams have been started. Dozens are already sentenced to 10-15 days imprisonment. We are also concerned about the human rights defender Aleh Hulak, head of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, who was arrested and his whereabouts are still not confirmed,” says an open letter to President Lukashenka.

Thousands of Belarusian citizens gathered at the Independence Square in Minsk on 19 December to protest against the violations observed during the election process. The Belarusian authorities violently dispersed the crowd and used disproportionate force against the demonstrators, opposition presidential candidates and journalists. The majority of the arrested during the demonstration have now stood trial for ‘participation in an unsanctioned meeting.’

The clampdown on media outlets such as Charter’97, Belsat, European Radio are an illustration of the systematic suppression and persecution of human rights defenders and journalists in Belarus, despite the Belarusian state’s obligations to respect and promote human rights and promises to meet the European Union requirements.

President urged to release detainees
The undersigned organizations call in their letter upon Mr. Lukashenko to:

– Immediately release the journalists and human rights defenders and stop further persecution of those arrested for peaceful expression of their opinion;
– Iimmediately release the presidential candidates and demonstrators;
– Stop the use of violence against the demonstrators, impartially investigate the incidents and bring the perpetrators of violence to justice;
– Ensure that there is no administrative charges against or illegitimate pre-trial detention of peaceful demonstrators, human rights defenders and journalists;
– Ensure fair criminal trials in accordance with the international standards;
– Ensure that the Belarusian people can safely exercise their civil and political rights guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus and the international treaties such as the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights to which Belarus is a signatory;
– Ensure that human rights defenders can operate safely in Belarus without harassment and persecution as guaranteed in the UN Declaration of Human Rights Defenders.

International NGOs
The undersigned organizations:

Belarusian Human Rights House in exile in Vilnius, Lithuania
– Belarus Watch
– Several human rights organizations in Belarus

Russian Research Center for Human Rights (on behalf of the following NGOs):
– Human Rights Network Group
– Independent Psychiatric Association of the Russian Federation
– Moscow Centre for Prison Reform
– Moscow Helsinki Group
– Mother’s Right Foundation
– Non-violence International
– Right of the Child
– Right to Live and have Civil Dignity
– Social Partnership Foundation
– Union of the Committees of Soldiers’ Mothers of the Russian Federation

Youth Human Rights Movement (the Russian Federation)

Human Rights House Baku (on behalf of the following NGOs):
– Association for the Protection of Women’s Rights in Azerbaijan after D. Aliyeva (APWR)
– Legal Education Society
– Media Rights Institute
– Women’s Association for Rational Development (WARD)

Human Rights House Tbilisi (on behalf of the following NGOs):
– Article 42 of the Constitution
– The Caucasian Centre for Human Rights and Conflict Studies (CAUCASIA)
– The Georgian Centre for Psychosocial and Medical Rehabilitation of Torture Victims (GCRT)
– The Human Rights Centre (HRIDC)
– Union ‘Saphari’ – Family Without Violence

Armenian Helsinki Association

Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union

Human Rights House Sarajevo (on behalf of the following NGOs):
– Association of Female Citizens “Renaissance”
– Foundation CURE
– Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina
– Regional Co-ordinator for Youth Groups
– Serb Civic Council – Movement for Equality – The Council of the Sarajevo Canton
– Woman and Society Centre

Human Rights House Zagreb (on behalf of the following NGOs):
– APEO/UPIM – Association for Promotion of Equal Opportunities for People with Disabilities
– B.a.B.e.
– CMS – Centre for Peace Studies
– Documenta – Centre for Dealing with the Past
– GOLJP – Civic Committee for Human Rights
– Svitanje – Association for Protection and Promotion of Mental Health

Human Rights House Skopje (on behalf of the following NGOs):
– Association for Democratic Initiatives (ADI)
– The First Children’s Embassy in the World – “Megjashi”
– Helsinki Committee for Human Rights of the Republic of Macedonia
– Macedonian Women’s Rights Centre (MWRC) – Shelter Centre
– Polio Plus – Movement Against Disability

Free Word Center, London (on behalf of the following NGOs):
– Index on Censorship
– Article 19

Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (Poland)

Human Rights House Oslo (on behalf of the following NGOs):
– Health and Human Rights Info
– Human Rights House Foundation
– Norwegian Burma Committee
– Norwegian Helsinki Committee
– Norwegian Tibet Committee
– Norwegian PEN

The Rafto Foundation for Human Rights (Norway)

Civic Belarus, Czech Republic

Civil Rights Defenders, Sweden

PEN International

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