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JURIST Belarus correspondent Ulyana Belaya is currently a student in the International Law and European Union Law program at the European Humanities University, Vilnius, Lithuania. She left Belarus in September 2021. The text of this dispatch has been lightly edited to preserve the author’s voice. The Russian war against Ukraine has lasted 113 days so [...]

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet Saturday raised concerns that China’s counter-terrorism measures in the province of Xinjiang may violate human rights and publicly called on the country to review these measures, which some have said target the country’s Uyghur minority. Bachelet’s statement follows her visit to Xinjiang amid new accusations of state [...]

The Lithuanian Parliament (Seimas) has voted to consider two alternative draft laws on partnerships, with the former being on civil unions and the latter on “close relationships.” The draft Law on Civil Union passed the first reading in the parliament on Thursday, with 70 votes in favor, 49 against and six abstentions. The bill seeks to [...]

The Ukrainian Parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, Sunday banned the public display and use of symbols “Z” and “V” and other symbols favored by proponents of Russia’s invasion, likening them to Nazi war propaganda. However, special exceptions have been made for educational purposes. The invasion’s proponents have used the “Z” symbol since the invasion began in [...]

Finland and Sweden Wednesday officially applied for NATO membership, as the Russian War in Ukraine rages on. Finnish President Sauli Niinistö and Prime Minister Sanna Marin enthusiastically said they intended to join NATO despite Russian warnings. Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson followed Finland with intentions to join NATO. Finland and Sweden, both neutral countries, had not [...]

The Supreme Court of Belarus Friday announced that Russian law student Sofia Sapega was sentenced in Grodno Regional Court to six years imprisonment for involvement with opposition activities in the country. Sapega was convicted of inciting social hatred and disseminating personal information without consent, charges which together carry a maximum of 15 years in prison. [...]

The Lithuanian legislature, the Seimas, Tuesday passed amendments to the Code of Administrative Offenses and the Law on Assemblies to prohibit symbols associated with Russian aggression in Ukraine. Banned symbols include the letters “V” or “Z” and the black and orange ribbon of St. George. Paulė Kuzmickienė, a member of the Seimas, said the symbols [...]

The Latvian parliament Thursday voted to ban symbols of military aggression and war crimes from public display, including the letters “Z” and “V” and the Ribbon of Saint George, which are seen as symbols of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. While the existing Law on the Safety of Public Entertainment and Festivity Events (the Law) [...]

JURIST Belarus contributor Ulyana Belaya is currently a student in the International Law and European Union Law program at the European Humanities University, Vilnius, Lithuania. She left Belarus in September 2021. The text of this dispatch has been lightly edited to preserve the author’s voice.  Belarusian human rights defenders published a manifesto Tuesday claiming that [...]

The German Interior Ministry declared Monday that any individual who displays the pro-Putin letter “Z” would be liable for prosecution. The letter has been used in recent weeks to symbolize support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine that began on February 24. Displayed on Russian military tanks, it has been used as a means to [...]