Latest
Belarusian Helsinki committee is under threats of being closed.
On the first of March, a criminal case against the chairman of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee (BHC), Tatiana Protko, because of tax evasion, was resumed. During the prosecution the last republican Human Rights association might be liquidated and BHC leaders are threatened with seven years of imprisonment with confiscation of property. (04-MARCH-06)
Belarusian Activists Against Pressure
The Human Rights Center Viasna appeals on the international community and human rights organizations and lodges its strong protest against the unprecedented tide of pressure and intimidation against civil society activists, which occurred on 21 February 2006 in many cities of Republic of Belarus. (23-FEB-06)
Belarus has Four Presidential Candidates .
The Central Election Committee of Republic of Belarus registered 4 Presidential Candidates on January 17. A. Milinkevich, A. Lukashenko, A. Kazulin, and S. Gaidukevich got the certificates of Presidential Candidates. The agitation stage started on the same day. The incumbent President declared equal opportunities for all the participants of the election campaign. (21-FEB-06)
Stop Repressions against Youth
The wave of arrests all over the country witnesses the aggravation of repressions on the eve of the presidential election in the Republic of Belarus. Human Rights Centre “Viasna” applies to representatives of the Belarusian public and urges them to express solidarity with the arrested activists of youth democratic movements and their families and give to them the necessary support. (15-FEB-06)
90% of time at Belarusian TV channels is devoted to Aliaksandr Lukashenka.
The Belarusian Association of Journalists presents the results of the monitoring “Elucidation of the presidential election of 2006 in the Belarusian mass media”. According to it, 90% of time at this TV channel in comparison to other subjects of the electoral process (Central Election Commission, observers from CIS countries and the Western Europe, other pretenders to presidency) was devoted to Aliaksandr Lukashenka. (04-FEB-06)
First steps of the election campaign in Belarus start with violations
On 27 January the initiative groups of the potential candidates for the position of the president of the country finish collection of signatures. As is known, elections are due on 19 March 2006. To be registered, each of the 6 pretenders has to collect at least 100 thousand signatures, apart from submitting tax declarations. The signature collectors face all kinds of obstacles. (27-JAN-06)
Another Public Association Liquidated in Belarus.
On January 24 a Supreme Court of Republic of Belarus starts hearings of the case at the suit of Justice Ministry to a public association “Belarusian think-tank”. It was stated at a briefing in the US Embassy in Minsk by a Belarusian sociologist Aleh Manaeu. As said by him, Justice Ministry demands to suspend activities of the organization.(23-JAN-06)
The 16th of January Is Belarusian Solidarity Day
On September 16, 1999 in the Republic of Belarus a vice-speaker of the Supreme Soviet Viktar Hanchar and his friend businessman Anatoly Krasouski were abducted. The fates of the former Minister of Internal Affairs Yury Zakharanka and a cameraman of the ORT channel Dzmitry Zavadsky are unknown as well. Representatives of the civil society of Republic of Belarus proposed holding Days of Solidarity in the country. They called upon the citizens SIMPLY TO SWITCH OFF THE LIGHT at 8 p.m. on the 16th day of every month, and to light candles of Freedom for 15 minutes, as a sign of solidarity with political prisoners, disappeared oppositionists, their families, and independent journalists, with all who fight for freedom and democracy in the Republic of Belarus. (16-JAN-06)
The International Day of Human Rights – sad holiday in Belarus
Since 10 December 1948 the International Day of Human Rights is celebrated around the world.“The situation of human rights in the Republic of Belarus is extremely tense”, — stated a doctor of juridical science,- “it is hard to find any political rights stated in the Declaration that are not violated in the Republic of Belarus.That’s why, pitifully enough, we meet this day with pity instead of joy”, — he concluded.” The pitiful situation of human rights is confirmed with the commentaries of Stsiapan Sukharenka, chair of the Belarusian KGB, concerning the amendments to the Criminal Code that will be enforced on 20 December (the Day KGB worker). (13-DEC-05)