Search Results for: Belarus

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced plans Sunday to temporarily limit asylum from neighboring countries Belarus and Russia, sparking criticism from human rights groups. Tusk stated the plan responds to recent efforts by Russia and Belarus to coordinate the “mass transfer of people” across the Polish border, resulting in security and stability concerns that could [...]

The UK on Wednesday accused Russia of violating international humanitarian law in its ongoing war against Ukraine, citing UN findings of war crimes including rape, sexual violence and torture, as well as repeated large-scale attacks on Ukraine’s electricity infrastructure. During a meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna, UK [...]

The Viasna Human Rights Centre in Belarus reported on Monday that the prison term of Yuras Zyankovich, a Belarusian American lawyer, has been extended by two years, bringing his sentence to a total of 13 and a half years, amid Belarus’ ongoing suppression of political opposition. Zyankovich was detained and arrested in Moscow on April [...]

The Republic of Lithuania formally referred the situation in Belarus to the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Monday, a significant action reflecting its dedication to ensuring accountability for the alleged crimes against humanity perpetrated by the authoritarian regime of President Alexander Lukashenko. The referral, submitted by Minister of Justice Ewelina Dobrowolska, invokes Articles 13(a) and 14 [...]

Belarus transgender rights organization TG House Belarus said on Friday that more than 15 LGBTQ+ individuals, including eight transgender individuals, were detained by the Belarusian authorities in the past month. According to TG House Belarus, the individuals were arrested in several Belarusian cities for allegedly subscribing to extremist resources. TG House Belarus stated that most [...]

Council of Europe (COE) Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O’Flaherty on Monday criticized Poland’s current border enforcement practices, stating that it fails to meet the standards of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). O’Flaherty especially highlighted that the practice of returning migrants to Belarus without an individual assessment violates several human rights protected by [...]

Teachers from across Belarus have been arrested or summoned for interrogation by the country’s State Security Committee (KGB-RB) for joining an educational project, the local Viasna Human Rights Centre reported on Wednesday. The project, named “Adukavanka,” is aimed at improving the skills of education workers in Belarus. The project offers educators express courses, lesson builders, [...]

A month ago, we witnessed the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France, a 19-day sporting marvel where athletes from all corners of the world came together and pushed the limits of what is humanly possible. More than 200 countries participated in these Olympics, which also included two Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN) and a Refugee Team. AIN [...]

President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko signed a decree on Wednesday pardoning 30 individuals previously convicted of “protest-related crimes.” Seven women and 23 men were pardoned. According to Prosecutor General Andrei Shved, as quoted by state news outlet Belta, “hese individuals did not commit violent crimes against representatives of the authorities. They were convicted mainly for insult [...]

The Zamoskvoretsky District Court in Moscow on Tuesday extended the detention of Laurent Vinatier, advisor to Geneva-based Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue’s Eurasia team.  Vinatier was found to be in breach of Article 330.1.3 of the Russian Criminal Code (Evasion of Obligations Under Russia’s Foreign Agent Legislation) and is to be imprisoned until February 21, 2025. [...]