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Belarus: Arrest and detention of human rights defender Ales Bialiatski, subject of a criminal investigation posted on: 2011/11/01

Human rights defender Mr Ales Bialiatski was arrested on 4 August 2011, and is currently being detained at the Volodarskogo Pre-trial Detention Centre He is the subject of a criminal investigation following accusations that he was involved in tax evasion.

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Belarus: Risk of criminal proceedings against human rights defender Mr Ales Bialiatski under Article 193.1 of the Criminal Codeposted on: 2011/06/17

On 3 June 2011, the Tsentralny district court of Minsk confirmed the warning issued by the Prosecutor's Office against human rights defender Mr Ales Bialiatsky for his activity with a non-registered organisation. Ales Bialiatsky is the chairman of Human Rights Centre 'Viasna' (HRC 'Viasna'). According to Article 193.1 of the Belarusian Criminal Code, the “illegal organisation or activities of public associations, religious groups or foundations or participation in their activities” is punishable by six months to two years in prison. HRC 'Viasna' is one of biggest human rights groups in Belarus that works to defend and promote political, cultural and social rights.

Belarus: Fear of closure of Belarusian Helsinki Committee on the basis of false allegations of tax evasionposted on: 2011/06/16

On 31 May 2011 human rights organisation, Belarusian Helsinki Committee (BHC) received a second written warning this year from the authorities, accusing BHC of tax evasion. It is feared that these warnings are an attempt to close down the organisation and stop its human rights work. Article 128 of the Law on NGOs provides that the activities of an organisation who receives such a warning can be suspended for up to six months. If an organisation is found guilty of violation of laws within one year of the warning it can be officially closed down. BHC is the oldest human rights group in Belarus.

Belarus: Suspended sentencing of human rights journalist Ms Iryna Khalip, released in courtroom after 5 months in detention and house arrestposted on: 2011/05/24

On 16 May 2011, the court of Zavodskoy district of Minsk found human rights journalist Ms Iryna Khalip guilty of violating part 1 of Article 342 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus (taking part or organising the actions that violate public order) and sentenced her to 2 years in a penal colony. The court decided to suspend the sentence for 2 years, and she was released in the courtroom. Iryna Khalip was arrested on 19 December 2010 after a protest rally in Minsk following the presidential elections. She is a Belarusian journalist and correspondent for the Russian newspaper 'Novaya Gazeta'. In 2009 Iryna Khalip won the International Women's Media Foundation “Courage in Journalism” Award. In 2005, she was nominated by Time Magazine as a “Hero of Europe”. She is the wife of opposition Presidential candidate Mr Andrey Sannikov.

Belarus: Arrest and detention of human rights defenders in Minsk under the suspicion of their involvement in terrorist attackposted on: 2011/04/21

On 19 April 2011, Mr Pavel Levinau, member of Belarusian Helsinki Committee, Mr Aleg Barshcheusky, editor-in-chief of newspaper Vitsebsky Kurier, Ms Olga Karach, head of NGO “Our Home”, and political and civil activist Mr Pavel Staneusky, were arrested and detained in Minsk for alleged complicity in the terrorist attack in Minsk metro station of 11 April 2011.

Belarus: Denial of entry of Ukrainian human rights defender Ms Marina Tsapok into Belarusposted on: 2011/04/21

On 20 April 2011, Ukrainian human rights defender Ms Marina Tsapok was denied entry into Belarus. Marina Tsapok is a member of the International Observation Mission of the Committee on International Control over the Situation with Human Rights in Belarus - a coalition of over 40 NGOs from across the OSCE region, and head of Kiev Information Centre of the same committee. She is also a coordinator of the FLARE (Freedom, Legality and Rights in Europe) network in Kiev, an activist with the independent Ukrainian youth organisation Foundation of Regional Initiatives, and a participant of the international Youth Human Rights Movement.

Belarus – Expulsion of Russian human rights defender Mr Andrey Yurov, who is denied entry until 2013posted on: 2011/03/17

On 16 March 2011, Mr Andrey Yurov, Russian human rights defender, Head of the International Observation Mission and member of the Supervisory Board of the Committee on International Control over the Situation with Human Rights in Belarus, was arrested. Released today, 17 March, he was subsequently urged to leave the territory of the Republic of Belarus under 24 hours, with denial of entry until 2013.

Belarus: Disbarment of human rights lawyer Mr Pavel Sapelkaposted on: 2011/03/15

On 3 March 2011, the Board of the Minsk City Bar disbarred human rights lawyer Mr Pavel Sapelka following prolonged pressure from the Belarusian Ministry of Justice. Pavel Sapelka is a well-known lawyer, member of Presidium of Minsk City Bar, who has worked at the legal consultation office No 2, Savetsky district, Minsk since 1994.

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He is the legal representative of imprisoned opposition Presidential Candidate, Mr Andrei Sannikau, as well as pro-democracy activist Mr Dzmitry Dashkevich and Mr Pavel Seviarynets, head of the Electoral Headquarters of former Presidential Candidate Vitali Rymasheyvsky, also currently held in detention by the State Security Agency (KGB).

As a result of the Minsk City Bar's decision, Pavel Sapelka is no longer legally entitled to work as a lawyer in Belarus.

Belarus: Disbarment of human rights lawyer Mr Pavel Sapelkaposted on: 2011/03/15

On 3 March 2011, the Board of the Minsk City Bar disbarred human rights lawyer Mr Pavel Sapelka following prolonged pressure from the Belarusian Ministry of Justice. Pavel Sapelka is a well-known lawyer, member of Presidium of Minsk City Bar, who has worked at the legal consultation office No 2, Savetsky district, Minsk since 1994.

Belarus: Repeated searches at offices of Human Rights Centre Viasna posted on: 2011/01/18

The headquarters of Human Rights Centre Viasna (Spring) in Minsk was searched for the second time on 17 January 2011. Viasna is one of the most active human rights organisations in Belarus, with regional offices in most large Belarusian cities.

Further Information

Viasna focuses on the defence, protection and promotion of political and social rights. Together with the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, Viasna led the "Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections" campaign which had been created to observe the Presidential elections of 19 December 2010, in order to assess their conformity with Belarusian electoral legislation and international standards for free and democratic elections, and to keep the Belarusian public and international community duly informed about the conclusions of said observation.

Belarus: Belarusian Helsinki Committee receives a warning after sending a communication to the UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyersposted on: 2011/01/14

The Belarusian Ministry of Justice has sent an official written warning to the Belarusian Helsinki Committee (BHC), the oldest human rights group in Belarus for the diffusion of false information that discredits law enforcement bodies and judicial institutions of the Republic.

Further Information

The BHC recently sent a communication to the UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Ms Gabriela Knaul, detailing violations of the rights to legal assistance of individuals arrested, accused and convicted following participation in the protest rally in Minsk on 19 December 2010 as well as pressure on their lawyers.

On 12 January 2011, information concerning the communications sent by the BHC to the UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers was published on the BHC's website. A few hours later, the head of Departement of non-commercial organisations of the Ministry of Justice, Mr A. Kirychenka, reportedly sent a fax to the BHC ordering them to provide him with the text of the communication within 30 minutes.

Belarus: Widespread searches and judicial harassment of human rights defenders following Presidential Electionsposted on: 2011/01/12

Numerous individual human rights defenders and organisations have been subjected to police and judicial harassment, ill-treatment, searches and raids carried out at their offices and homes, since the unrest which followed the Presidential Elections of 19 December 2010.

Further Information

Most of the searches have been carried out in relation to a criminal investigation opened by the Minsk Department of Interior under Article 293 parts 1 and 2 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus (participation and organisation of mass disorder) which is punishable by up to 15 years in prison. This investigation aims at establishing the involvement of human rights defenders in the political unrest.

On 19 December 2010, Mr Aleh Gulak, Chair of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee (BHC), who was observing the opposition rally, was arrested despite explaining the reasons for his presence. He was brought to a temporary detention facility where was forced to spend three hours standing with his face to a wall. On 20 December at midday, he was brought to court where he was accused of participation in an unauthorised rally.

Belarus: Arrests of several members of Human Rights Defenders for Free Electionsposted on: 2010/12/20

Several Belarusian human rights defenders monitoring the presidential elections in Belarus for the campaign "Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections" were arrested on the night from 19 to 20 December 2010.

Further Information

The campaign "Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections" was launched by two leading Belarusian human rights organisations – Human Rights Centre 'Viasna' (Spring) and Belarusian Helsinki Committee - with the aim to observe the presidential elections, to assess the conformity of the electoral process with Belarusian electoral legislation and international standards of free and democratic elections, and to keep the Belarusian public and international community duly informed about conclusions of the observation.

On 19 December 2010, at approximately 10pm, the opposition rally organised near the Governmental House to contest the official results was violently broken up by the riot police.

Mr Aleh Gulak, chair of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, who was there to observe the rally, was arrested by the police. He managed to call his colleagues from the police bus where he had been put together with demonstrators.

Belarus: Human rights defender Mr Raman Kislyak arrested and detainedposted on: 2010/09/01

On 30 August 2010, police in the western Belarusian city of Berastse (Brest) detained prominent human rights defender Mr Raman Kislyak, while his distributed leaflets to mark the International Day of the Disappeared. Raman Kislyak is a human rights lawyer.

Belarus: Search of the offices of Havary Praudu civil campaign posted on: 2010/05/24

On 18 May 2010, the local offices of the ‘Havary Praudu’ (Speak The Truth) civil campaign in twelve Belarusian towns and cities including Brest, Homel, Hrodna, Barysau, Mahiliou and Minsk were almost simultaneously searched by the Belarusian police and the committee of National Security (KGB).