• Belarus on My Mind, and Maybe Putin’s as Well
    Commentary
    Dec 20, 2011
    “Documents, please?” – a man in a police uniform said, approaching me. As I handed him my passport, he added sarcastically: “Make sure you take all valuables out: dollars..pounds…whatever else you got there”.
  • Belarus: Conviction of Rights Defender a Blow for Rule of Law
    Press release
    Nov 24, 2011
    The conviction of the Belarusian human rights defender Ales Bialiatski on charges of tax evasion on November 24, 2011, and his prison sentence of 4 years and 6 months with confiscation of all assets were unjustified and politically motivated.
  • Belarus: Drop Charges Against Activist
    Press release
    Nov 1, 2011
    Belarusian authorities should dismiss criminal charges against a leading human rights defender, Ales Bialiatski, and release him immediately from custody.
  • Belarus: Open Joint NGO Letter to the Parliament of Belarus
    Letter
    Oct 20, 2011
    Parliament, adopted a set of restrictive legislative amendments to a number of Belarusian legislative acts, including the Law on Public Associations, the Law on Political Parties, the Electoral Code, the Code of Administrative Offenses, the Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code of Belarus. On the same day, the House of Representatives also adopted amendments to the Law on Public Gatherings.
  • Belarus: Human Rights Watch Submission to the United Nations Committee against Torture
    Backgrounder Briefing
    Oct 17, 2011
    This memorandum, submitted to the United Nations Committee Against Torture (“the Committee”) in advance of its upcoming review of Belarus, outlines Human Rights Watch’s concerns and recommendations regarding the conditions for and treatment of political prisoners in Belarus, held in connection with the December 2010 post-election unrest.
  • Belarus: Joint NGO Letter to UN Human Rights Council
    Letter
    Sep 5, 2011
    We are writing to call on your delegation to participate in the Interactive Dialogue with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the situation of human rights in Belarus, and to express serious concern with the continuing human rights violations perpetrated by the Belarusian government since the December 19, 2010 presidential election.
  • Joint Letter to Members and Observer States of the UN Human Rights Council
    Letter
    Sep 4, 2011
  • Belarus: Joint NGO Letter to Release Ales Belyatsky
    Letter
    Aug 10, 2011
    On August 10, 2011 a coalition of internatinoal NGOs signed a letter to the Prosecutor General of Belarus, requesting the release of Ales Belyatsky pending the investigation against him.
  • Belarus: Leading Rights Defender Detained
    Press release
    Aug 5, 2011
    Belarusian authorities should immediately free a leading human rights activist, Ales Belyatsky, whom police detained on August 4, 2011, in Minsk on politically motivated allegations of tax evasion.
  • Belarus: Cease Violence Against Peaceful Protesters
    Press release
    Jul 5, 2011
    Belarusian authorities should respect the right to freedom of assembly and stop arresting peaceful protesters.