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Watch it again: HRC50 digital side event “Human Rights in Crisis, Belarus 2022” organised on Tuesday, 14 June, 2022 by Human Rights House Foundation, PEN America and the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Lithuania, Geneva.

The on-going and worsening attacks by the Belarusian authorities against civil society and human rights defenders must cease immediately and all political prisoners must be released. We call on the Belarusian authorities to comply with their international obligations in this regard. Furthermore, we call on the international community to renew its commitment to human rights in Belarus.

Mikola Dziadok is an anarchist and blogger from the Belarusian district of Mogilev. He was previously held as a political prisoner between 2010 to 2015, when he wrote essays about daily life and the key elements of the Belarusian prison system. His essays formed the collection, The Colours of the Parallel World, which received PEN Belarus’ Francišak Aliachnovič Award in 2017.

Human Rights House Foundation announces a call for applications to House-to-House Project Fund 2022. HRHF welcomes all Human Rights Houses, their member organisations as well as organisations and actors from outside of the network to apply for funding.

Today, the Minsk City Court will begin hearings in the trial against Viasna member Marfa Rabkova and volunteer Andrey Chapiuk. Both are being prosecuted on politically motivated charges and face up to 20 years and eight years of imprisonment respectively. The proceedings are taking place as Viasna’s 26th anniversary approaches, in an overwhelmingly repressive context in Belarus. The signatory organisations reiterate their utmost support for Viasna, and call for the immediate and unconditional release of all its members as well as all arbitrarily imprisoned human rights defenders in the country.

The renewed invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation on 24 February 2022 must be considered within the broader regional human rights crisis which encompasses Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine. Find out how you can take action to support civil society in Eastern Europe through various fundraising activities below.

On 17 March 2022, Human Rights House Foundation delivered a statement at the 49th session of the UN Human Rights Council calling for the Council to renew the mandate of the OHCHR examination of Belarus.

Watch the full recording of “Belarus: Next steps toward accountability at the Human Rights Council”, a side event hosted ahead of the 49th session of the UN Human Rights Council. This event was organised by the Permanent Mission of Lithuania to UN Office at Geneva and Human Rights House Foundation.

On Sunday, 27 February 2022, Belarusian authorities will hold a national referendum on a new draft constitution. The proposed constitution, the third since Alexander Lukashenka became President in 1994, has drawn widespread criticism for providing the opportunity to tighten Lukashenka’s grip on power.