Exposing Crimes & Furthering Justice

Since May 2020, Belarusian journalists, lawyers, activists, and other human rights defenders have reported numerous human rights violations committed by law enforcement, documenting incidents of police brutality, torture, arbitrary detention, and violations of the right to fair trial. The government has since rewarded many direct perpetrators of the crackdowns and punished law enforcement officials who supported the protest. At the same time, the Belarusian legal system has become even more dependent on the executive, and many new laws and amendments further restrict freedom of speech, association, and assembly.

6
restrictive laws adopted since the beginning of the crisis, at least
4644
reported incidents of police brutality
300
or more officials allegedly responsible for police abuse rewarded

86
officials deprived of their ranks for supporting protesters
5
officials imprisoned for supporting protesters, at least
14
former officials declared terrorists for supporting protesters

Latest

A year after the arbitrary arrest of the president and vice president of the Human Rights Center "Viasna," no justice is in sight

Tomorrow, July 14, 2022 marks one year since the arbitrary arrest of three prominent human rights defenders from the Human Rights Center Viasna. On this day last year, Belarusian authorities arrested FIDH Vice-president and Viasna’s board member Valiantsin Stefanovic, Viasna’s President Ales Bialiatski and lawyer Uladzimir Labkovich. Along with four other Viasna members, the three remain behind bars on trumped-up charges, in appalling conditions, systematically denied communication with their families and lawyers. The Observatory (FIDH-OMCT) deplores the continuing demolition of the Belarus civil society by Lukashenka’s regime, renews its calls for the immediate release of seven Viasna’s defenders, and demands justice for all those arbitrarily detained in the country.
OMCT-FIDH: New amendment to the Criminal Code leaves no room for legal human rights activities

OMCT-FIDH: New amendment to the Criminal Code leaves no room for legal human rights activities
- HRD
- criminal cases
- Viasna
- harassment
FIDH: Accusations against Viasna HRC are baseless

Several members of Human Rights Center Viasna, including its Chairman Ales Bialiatski, and FIDH Vice President Valiantsin Stefanovic were charged with tax evasion on a large scale. FIDH believes, however, that the real motive behind these baseless charges is to eradicate civil society in Belarus.
- UN
- OHCHR session
48th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Item 4: Interactive dialogue on the interim oral update of the OHCHR on the situation of human rights in Belarus

On 24 September 2021, during the 48th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, FIDH contributed to the Interactive dialogue on the interim oral update of the OHCHR on the situation of human rights in Belarus.
- criminal cases
- trials
Trials of activists and opposition leaders are mere retaliation, FIDH says

On June 24, a trial of several imprisoned leaders of the Belarusian protest movement began at the Homiel detention centre. As such, the detention centre became yet another forum for retaliation against pro-democracy activists.