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By the end of the year 2009 two independent newspapers face the pressure of Belarusian authorities. National paper “Narodnaja Volia” got the official warning and local newspaper “Hazieta Slonimskaja” was not registered. Belarusian officials quite obviously treat state media in different way than independent media, which is confronted with new attacks.

Reporters Without Borders is worried about the government’s plans to tighten control of the Internet in a country where free expression is already restricted. President Aliaksandr Lukashenka acknowledged on 30 December 2009 that his government is putting the final touches to a bill to this effect. The draft decree was leaked to the media on 14 December.

On 6 January a new stage of the Election Observation: Theory and Practice began in Vilnius. Throughout a week more than 40 participants from Republic of Belarus, Lithuania and Sweden will be completing an intensive theoretical course dedicated to a study of basics of an electoral process and election observation.

For the Belarusian third sector 2009 was rich on events. Opposite in its ideological directions, authoritarian tendencies went hand in hand with a liberal thaw. Which one of these directions was most noticeable and influential on a general socio-economic field of the country?

From 23 to 25 December Belarusian HRH hosted a conference Possibilities of Preventive HR Defence. Representatives of various organisations from Republic of Belarus, Lithuania, Ukraine and the Russian Federation shared their views and exchanged ideas.

The letter by international human rights NGOs is aiming to press the Belarusian authorities to provide official registration to the party of Belarusian Christian Democracy (BCD) and stop the persecution of its members. The HR defenders also urge to abolish the repressive Article 193.1 of Belarusian Criminal Code.
Find the text of the letter below.

December in the Republic of Belarus was marred by a new wave of ideological coercion. In particular, a campaign of forced subscription to state-owned publications has begun. It is linked to a country wide subscription for 2010.

On 9 December in Minsk the human rights award was announced. Human Rights Alliance, registered in Lithuania, annually gives out the prize. Two out of three laureates are alumni of the Human Rights House Network educational program.

15 December Vilnius HRH hosted a presentation of a short documentary Borderland. The film was made with the assistance of BelSat TV crew. The idea was developed by United Centre of Initiatives for Republic of Belarus (JuBIC), a partner-organisation of HRH Foundation.