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Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Belarus supports the introduction of the definition of “torture” to the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus .

Генеральная пракуратура Рэспублікі Беларусь выступае за ўвядзенне ў Крымінальны Кодэкс Рэспублікі Беларусь вызначэння паняцця «катаванне».

3 снежня 2011 г. у віленскім Беларускім Доме правоў чалавека адбудзецца фінальная гульня VIII Нацыянальнага конкурсу школьных каманд “Што я ведаю пра Еўропу?”, арганізаванага ініцыятыўнай групай па стварэнні Клубу еўрапейскіх настаўнікаў пры падтрымцы Асацыяцыі па міжнародных пытаннях (АМО) (Чэхія) і ПАГА “Рух “За Свабоду””.

The Supreme Court has decided to sentence to death Dzmitry Kanavalau and Uladzislau Kavaliou, accused of organizing the terrorist attack in Minsk metro. The judge explained that such a decision was adopted considering exceptional danger to society posed by Kanavalau and Kavaliou. The verdict can not be appealed.

Вярхоўны суд пастанавіў прыгаварыць Дзмітрыя Канавалава і Уладзіслава Кавалёва, абвінавачаных у арганізацыі тэракту ў мінскім метро, да расстрэлу. Суддзя патлумачыў такое рашэнне выключнай небяспекай для грамадства, якую ўяўляюць сабой Каналаваў і Кавалёў. Абскардзіць прысуд нельга.

The Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights and Open Society Foundations have the pleasure to announce the next of the series of Marek Nowicki memorial lectures.This year’s lecture ‘Towards the universal abolition of the death penalty’ will be given by Prof. Robert Badinter a well-known lawyer, lecturer at the Paris Sorbonne University, advocate of abolishing the death penalty. In 1981 he succeeded in abolishing the death penalty in France.

On Thursday, 24 November 2011, a Belarus court handed down a four-and-half-year prison sentence to Ales Belyatsky, human rights activist and the head of the Human Rights Centre ‘Viasna’. Belyatsky was also ordered to pay a fine of 721 million Belarusian rubles ($83,000). The conviction was based on the information on Mr Belyatsky’s bank accounts in Poland which the Belarusian authorities had received from the Polish Prosecutor General’s Office.

Following a visit to Kosovo 13-18 November, a delegation of Helsinki Committees calls on authorities there to improve the rule of law and the fairness and efficiency of the justice systems for all, and to extend a hand to its minorities and demonstrate in practical terms that the local and central government takes care of the needs of its citizens. The recent events in the North of Kosovo demonstrates the need for Prishtina and Belgrade to seriously engage to avoid further escalation in conflict levels and inter-ethnic tension

In its Concluding Observations, the Committee against Torture makes a first harsh observation of the dialogue: Belarus’ delayed report prevented the experts for almost a decade from analysing the implementation of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

Impunity kills independent investigative journalism, says Agnes Callamard, Executive Director, Article 19. According to her, the lack of successful investigations into the killings of journalists lays the foundation for self-censorship as a method of protection, thereby curtailing journalists from criticising the government through investigate stories tackling issues such as corruption and human rights violations.

Prominent Azerbaijani journalist and writer, Rafiq Tagi, died in Baku on 23 November from the injuries he sustained during a brutal knife attack four days earlier. Rafiq’s death on 23 November – the world’s first International Day to End Impunity – is a chilling reminder of the dangers faced by journalists in Azerbaijan.

On November 25 rally of solidarity with Ales Bialiatski and other political prisoners in Belarus was held near the building of the Belarusian Embassy in Vilnius.