Belarus
Republic.
Area (km²): 207 600
Population (2008): 9,6 million
Capital: Minsk
Language: Belarusian and Russian
BNP/capita in US dollar (2008): 6 060
Source: Utrikespolitiska Institutet
The flag to the left is the current official Belarusian flag that Alexander Lukashenka reintroduced in 1995. This flag was used by the Belarusian republic in Soviet times. The white-red flag is the traditional Belarusian flag and is today used by the democratic opposition.
News
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2010-09-07: Belarusian journalist found dead
On September 3rd Aleh Byabenin was found dead in his country house. The first investigation considers suicide even though Aleh’s family and friends suggest that there was nothing in his behavior or in his life that points towards a suicide.
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2010-09-06: NGO:s call for more transparent EU-Belarus dialogue
EU could positively influence relations with Belarus and improve the image of the Dialogue Period among Belarusian citizens by providing more feedback on what is going on, and thereby making the dialogue process more transparent, says a group of NGO:s.
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2010-06-24: Repressive measures remain in Belarus
Fundamental civil and political rights remain seriously restricted. The persecution of independent journalists and human rights defenders will most likely intensify on the eve of the Presidential elections, according to our latest report.
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2010-05-18: Police arrested LGBT demonstrators in Minsk
Seven Belarusian LGBT-activists were recently fined for participating in a demonstration for the rights of sexual minorities. It is unacceptable that these people’s basic rights are not respected, says Robert Hårdh, Executive Director of Civil Rights Defenders.
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2010-04-21: Execution despite negotiation of a moratorium
In March, two prisoners were executed in Belarus, despite ongoing negotiations with the Council of Europe on the introduction of a moratorium. According to the United Nations Human Rights Committee Belarus is acting in breach of its international obligations, Viasna says.
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2010-04-17: Belarus executions condemned
Civil Rights Defenders, together with over 50 other human rights organisations, condemn the Belarus execution of Andrei Zhuk and Vasily Yuzepchuk.
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2010-03-26: Urging Belarus dictator to stop harassment
Civil Rights Defenders and three other human rights organisations urge Belarus dictator Alexander Lukashenka to stop harassment of those defending human rights in Belarus.
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2010-03-23: Human rights defenders arrested for protest against death penalty
Four leading human rights defenders in Belarus were arrested on Tuesday afternoon following a demonstration against the death penalty. The protest was a response to the unexpected execution of two men on death row last week.
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2010-03-13: Law on mass media a setback for freedom of speech
A year after Belarus imposed a law regulating mass media the legal basis for free media to act in Belarus is decisively weakened. The positive changes in the media field were neither systematic nor definitive.
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2010-03-12: Human rights defenders against death penalty
In January 2010 the human rights organization Viasna and the Belarusian Helsinki Committee launched the campaign “Human rights defenders against death penalty.” The campaign aims to disseminate objective information and in the long term work for abolition of the death penalty.
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2010-01-22: Authorities try to stop independent media before elections
The Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) expresses concern over the media situation in Belarus before the local elections in April. It will be very difficult for the few independent media that exists in the country to provide objective information after threats to close down media from the Media Ministry.
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2010-01-18: Journalist Association accused of breaking the law
Belarusian Ministry of Justice accuses the independent Association of Journalists, BAJ, of breaking the laws. One can only speculate if this is a consequence of BAJ’s increasingly successful lobbying, says Erik Esbjörnson at Civil Rights Defenders.
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2010-01-12: Yet another lost year for Belarus
During 2009, the regime has once again imprisoned political prisoners. The authorities continue to deny state registration to political parties and non-governmental organisations and foreign journalists are refused accreditation.
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2009-12-10: Lifting of Sanctions Towards Belarusian Officials Extended
Read more about the human rights situation in Belarus in the report from the human rights organisation Viasna.
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2009-11-18: Independent Radio Station Accredited in Belarus
-We welcome the accreditation of European Radio for Belarus. We hope this will mark a breach in the Belarusian authorities policy of clamping down on independent media and that they will take further steps towards ensuring freedom of expression in Belarus, said Robert Hårdh, executive director at Civil Rights Defenders.
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2009-11-02: Fourth report about human rights in Belarus
In the fourth report about the human rights situation in Belarus, Belarusian and international organisations urge the EU to prolong the temporary cancelation of sanctions in order to achieve permanent changes.
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2009-09-30: No changes of the legal framework
The Belarusian government’s policies have remained largely unchanged since the last monitoring report was released in March 2009. While isolated concessions were made to the political opposition and civil society that allowed them carry out some activities without harassment, repressive measures remained in place and continued to be enforced on a selective basis. No changes [...]
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2009-09-28: International Human Rights Organisations Call for Press Freedom in Belarus
International Media and Press Freedom Organisations jointly call for reforms and the removal of restrictions on the media in the Republic of Belarus.
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2009-07-16: Human Rights Defender Sentenced to Fine
Belarus continues to punish the country’s human rights defenders. On July 16, the Belarusian human rights defender and lawyer Leanid Svetsik was sentenced to a huge fine. Svetsik has for several years been working with legal aid to human rights activists in the city of Vitebsk, who had received letters with threats from members of the Nazi-organization Russian National Unity.
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2009-06-08: Viasna challenges the dictatorship
The Belarusian human rights organisation Viasna has been working in secret since 2003. After three attempts to register the activists are fed up and are now publicly announcing their activities, which are classified as illegal in Belarus. Three representatives of Viasna; Ales Bialiatski, Valiantsin Stefanovitj and Uladzimir Labkovitj made the risky statement on a press [...]
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2009-06-02: Human Rights Organisation Denied Registration for the Third Time
The Belarusian human rights organisation Nasja Viasna was on Thursday once again denied registration by the authorities. It is the third time in slightly less than two years that the foremost human rights defenders in Belarus are denied the right to work legally. The reasons for the denial are as absurd as previously. One example [...]
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2009-05-11: EU Meets Belarus Ten Years after Disappearance of Regime Critic
Today the EU launches its Eastern partnership aiming at creating closer bonds between the EU and six countries in east, among these the dictatorship Belarus. The project is launched at the EU summit in Prague where representatives of the Belarusian president Aljaksandr Lukasjenka will participate. At the same time it is exactly ten years since [...]
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Monitoring Human Rights Developments – In cooperation with Belarusian and international NGO:s
In cooperation with more than 50 Belarusian and international organisations we regularly compile reports regarding the human rights situation in Belarus. The reports are sent to EU parliamentarians and other decision makers in the wake of their discussions about the relations between EU and Belarus.
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Distributing independent news – in cooperation with European Radio for Belarus
Civil Rights Defenders cooperates with European Radio for Belarus to support access to information for the Belarusian people. Our cooperation also aims at assisting a new generation of journalists, who will be able to work professionally in Belarus in the future.
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Providing a safe haven – in cooperation with Human Rights House
The purpose of our support to the Human Rights House in Vilnius is to provide Belarusian human rights defenders a safe place to plan and carry out activities. In the house in exile they can have seminars, meetings and other activities that cannot be conducted inside Belarus due to the difficult political situation.