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Economic and social rights are as systematically violated as civil and political rights in the Republic of Belarus.

On 18-19 February Veliky Novgorod hosted a conference of the project “Electronic Human rights “, which graduates and experts from Azerbaijan, Belarus, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine were able to discuss the implementation of forms of free legal aid in the participating countries.

Miklós Haraszti (right), UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus, is still not allowed to enter the country. However, the Belarusian authorities are ready to invite a number of special rapporteurs and discuss only certain questions.

Statkevich, presidential candidate during the 2010 elections, has once again confirmed that he would not seek a pardon from Aliaksandr Lukashenka. He stated so in the letter that he sent to his wife Maryna Adamovich. Political prisoner wrote: “In regard to another suggestion “to ask for pardon” it is likely that required “appeal” can be written on my behalf.”

On January 27 a photo of a group of fans of the Belarusian football club BATE (tenfold national champion), holding a white-red-white flag and posters: “Hold on, Ukraine, we are with you!” and “Glory to Heroes!” appeared on the Internet. A few days later, two fans were convicted, and the police is still looking for the others.

Belarusian human rights organizations have developed an analytical review, which defines medium-term trends in the field of human rights, socio-political and economic situation in Belarus. The report that covers the period from July to December 2013,was developed by Belarusian Helsinki Committee (RPHA “BHK”), the Belarusian Association of Journalists (HA “BAJ”), the Assembly of Democratic NGOs of Belarus, Legal Transformation Center, the Human Rights Centre “Viasna” educational and charitable institution “Solidarity” Committee “.

On 20 December at about 6 p.m. car owners came to the main Minsk avenue to protest against imposition of the transport tax. The “Stop Tax” campaign ended up with detentions, and the car of one of the protesters was confiscated.

Belarusian human rights defenders learned that one of the courts in Belarus issued another death penalty. The decision was made on 26 November 2013 in relation to 53-year-old citizen, who was accused of five cases of murder while intoxicated. The convicted has been under investigation since 2011 and during that time he had changed three lawyers.

10 December is marked as Human Rights Day. On this occasion, the Barys Zvoskau Belarusian Human Rights House and the Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands in Vilnius held a public discussion on the criminal justice system and the death penalty in Belarus.