Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor

Pablo Neruda

161 human rights organisations demand an end to the repression against the Human Rights Center Viasna and all other human rights defenders in Belarus. We condemn the systematic arbitrary arrests, beatings and acts of torture they are subjected to. Despite all-out repression by the Belarusian authorities, human rights defenders in Belarus continue to strive to protect human rights. Inspired by their courage, we will not stop fighting until they are all released and able to continue their human rights work freely and unhindered.

Over the past few days, we have witnessed another wave of raids and detentions against Belarusian human rights defenders and activists. This repression is a blatant retaliation for their work denouncing and documenting human rights violations ongoing since the brutal crackdown against peaceful protesters in the wake of the August 2020 election. Since August 2020, more than 35,000 Belarusians were arrested for participating in peaceful protests, around 3,000 politically motivated criminal cases were initiated, at least 2,500 cases of torture of Belarusian citizens were documented. We believe these systematic and widespread human rights violations may amount to crimes against humanity. As of July 19, 561 persons in Belarus are considered political prisoners.

Between July 14 and 16, 2021, more than 60 searches were conducted at the homes and offices of Belarusian human rights organisations and their staff, including the Human Rights Centre ‘Viasna’, two member organisations of the International Committee for the Investigation of Torture in Belarus, Human Constanta and Legal Initiative, as well as the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, the Belarusian Association of Journalists, the Legal Transformation Center LawTrend, Ecodom and many others. Documents and IT equipment, including laptops, mobile phones and computers were seized during the searches.

During these latest raids, more than 30 people were interrogated. 13 of them were detained for a 72-hour period, reportedly in connection to an investigation into public order violations and tax evasion. Most of them were subsequently released, namely, Mikalai Sharakh, Siarhei Matskievich, and Viasna members Andrei Paluda, Alena Laptsionak, Yauheniya Babaeva, Siarhei Sys, Viktar Sazonau, Ales Kaputski and Andrei Medvedev. Several of them, however, remain under travel ban and face criminal charges. Notably, Ales Bialiatsky, Viasna Chairperson Valiantsin Stefanovic, Viasna Deputy Head and Vice-President of the FIDH, and Uladzimir Labkovich, a lawyer and Viasna member, remain detained. On July 17, all four were transferred to a pre-trial detention center “Valadarskaha”. Four other Viasna members Leanid Sudalenka, Tatsiana Lasitsa, Marfa Rabkova and Andrey Chapyuk, as well as Aleh Hrableuski of the Office for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, remain in pre-trial detention since late 2020 or early 2021.

Viasna, one of the country’s top human rights organisations, and a member of the OMCT and FIDH networks, has been targeted by the Belarusian government for over two decades. In August 2011, its chairperson Ales Bialiatsky was sentenced to four and a half years of imprisonment on trumped-up charges, and released in June 2014 after spending 1,052 days in arbitrary detention in appalling conditions. In retaliation for Viasna’s courageous work and unwavering stance for human rights, the Belarusian authorities are trying to destroy the organisation by putting seven of its members behind bars.

The raids started only one day after the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a resolution condemning the situation of human rights in Belarus, demanding the release of all persons arbitrarily detained and an investigation into allegations of torture and other human rights violations.

On July 8-9 and July 16, 2021, the authorities also raided the homes and premises of various independent media outlets and their staff, including ‘Nasha Niva’, one of country’s oldest independent newspaper, and detained three of its journalists. The offices of RFE/Radio Liberty and Belsat, the largest independent TV channel covering Belarus, were also searched, and several of their journalists were detained. As of now, over 30 media workers and dozens of bloggers remain in detention.

We, the undersigned civil society organisations, condemn the massive human rights violations perpetrated by the Belarusian authorities, which we fear may trigger more violence. This latest wave of repression, together with the brutal crackdown over the last months, demonstrates that the authorities aim at having every human rights defender either detained or exiled.

We stand in solidarity with our colleagues and friends who are detained, harassed, and persecuted for their brave work. We regard their struggle with great concern and sorrow, and we are inspired by their commitment and resilience.

We urge the Belarusian authorities to stop the harassment and intimidation of critical voices, and to free all unjustly detained human rights defenders, journalists and activists.

We call on the international community to take a strong stance in support of the Belarusian human rights community, and to speak out for the release of all those who are still behind bars, and whose only crime is to demand a society based on justice instead of fear.

Signatories

1. Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran - Iran

2. ACAT Belgique - Belgium

3. ACAT Burundi - Burundi

4. ACAT España-Catalunya (Acción de los Cristianos para la Abolición de la Tortura) - Spain

5. ACAT Germany (Action by Christians for the Abolition of Torture) - Germany

6. ACAT Italia - Italy

7. ACAT République Centrafricaine - Central African Republic

8. ACAT République Démocratique du Congo - Democratic Republic of Congo

9. ACAT Suisse - Switzerland

10. ACAT Tchad - Tchad

11. ACAT Togo - Togo

12. Action Against Violence and Exploitation (ACTVE) - Philippines

13. Action des Chrétiens Activistes des Droits de l’Homme à Shabunda (ACADHOSHA) - Democratic Republic of Congo

14. Advocacy Forum – Nepal - Nepal

15. Agir ensemble pour les droits humains - France

16. Albanian Human Rights Group

17. ALTSEAN-Burma - Myanmar

18. Anti Death Penalty Asia Network (ADPAN) - Malaysia/Asia-Pacific

19. Anti-Discrimination Centre Memorial - Belgium

20. ARTICLE 19

21. ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights - Indonesia

22. Asia Pacific Solidarity Coalition (APSOC) - Philippines

23. Asociación para una Ciudadanía Participativa (ACI PARTICIPA) - Honduras

24. Asociación pro derechos humanos (Aprodeh) - Peru

25. Association Mauritanienne des droits de l'homme (AMDH-Mauritanieuri) - Mauritania

26. Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP) - India

27. Association Tchadienne pour la promotion et la Défense des Droits de l'Homme (ATPDH) - Tchad

28. Association tunisienne des femmes démocrates - Tunisia

29. Avocats Sans Frontières France (ASF France) - France

30. Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM) - India

31. Belarusian-Swiss Association RAZAM.CH - Switzerland

32. Bulgarian Helsinki Committee - Bulgaria

33. Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) - Cambodia

34. Capital Punishment Justice Project (CPJP) - Australia

35. Center for Civil Liberties - Ukraine

36. Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) - United States of America

37. Centre for Applied Human Rights (CAHR), University of York - United Kingdom

38. Centre for the Development of Democracy and Human Rights (CDDHR) - Russia

39. Centro de Derechos humanos Fray Bartolomé de las Casas A.c. (Frayba) - Mexico

40. Centro de Derechos Humanos Paso del Norte - Mexico

41. Centro de Investigación y Promoción de los Derechos Humanos (CIPRODEH) - Honduras

42. Centro de Prevención, Tratamiento y Rehabilitación de Victimas de la Tortura y sus familiares (CPTRT) - Honduras

43. Centro de Salud Mental y Derechos Humanos (CINTRAS) - Chile

44. Changement Social Bénin (CSB) - Benin

45. CIVICUS

46. Civil Rights Defenders (CRD) - Sweden

47. Comision Nacional de los Derechos Humanos (CNDH-RD) - Dominican Republic

48. Coalition Burkinabé des Défenseurs des Droits Humains (CBDDH) - Burkina Faso

49. Coalition Marocaine contre la Peine de Mort - Morocco

50. Coalition Tunisienne Contre la Peine de Mort - Tunisia

51. Collectif des Associations Contre l'Impunité au Togo (CACIT) - Togo

52. Comisión de derechos humanos – COMISEDH - Peru

53. Comité de Familiares de Detenidos Desaparecidos en Honduras (COFADEH) - Honduras

54. Comité de solidaridad con los presos políticos (FCSPP) - Colombia

55. Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ) - Northern Ireland (UK)

56. Crude Accountability - United States of America

57. Czech League of Human Rights Czech Republic

58. Death Penalty Focus (DPF) - United States of America

59. Defenders of human rights centre - Iran

60. DEMAS - Association for Democracy Assistance and Human Rights - Czech Republic

61. DITSHWANELO - The Botswana Centre for Human Rights - Botswana

62. Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum (EaP CSF) - Belgium

63. Eleos Justice, Monash University - Australia

64. Enfants Solidaires d'Afrique et du Monde (ESAM) - Benin

65. Federal Association of Vietnam-Refugees in the Federal Republic of Germany - Germany

66. FIDU - Italian Federation for Human Rights - Italy

67. Finnish League for Human Rights - Finland

68. Free Press Unlimited - The Netherlands

69. Fundación Regional de Asesoría en Derechos Humanos (INREDH) - Ecuador

70. GABRIELA Alliance of Filipino Women - Philippines

71. German Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (GCADP) - Germany

72. Greek Helsinki Monitor Greece

73. Helsinki Citizens' Assembly – Vanadzor - Armenia

74. Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights - Poland

75. Citizens' Watch Russia

76. Human Rights Alert - India

77. Human Rights Association (İHD) - Turkey

78. Human Rights Center (HRC) - Georgia

79. Human Rights Center (HRC) "Memorial" - Russia

80. Human Rights House Foundation

81. Human Rights in China (HRIC) - USA

82. Human Rights Monitoring Institute (HRMI) - Lithuania

83. Human Rights Mouvement “Bir Duino-Kyrgyzstan” - Kyrgyzstan

84. Human Rights Organization of Nepal - Nepal

85. Humanist Union of Greece (HUG) - Greece

86. Hungarian Helsinki Committee - Hungary

87. IDP Women Association "Consent" - Georgia

88. Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU) - Kenya

89. Instituto de Estudios Legales y Sociales del Uruguay (IELSUR) - Uruguay

90. International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) - Kenyan Section - Kenya

91. International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) - France

92. International Legal Initiative - Kazakhstan

93. International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR) - Belgium

94. International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) - Switzerland

95. Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society - India

96. JANANEETHI - India

97. Justice for Iran (JFI) - United Kingdom

98. Justícia i Pau - Spain

99. Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and the Rule of Law - Kazakhstan

100. Kharkiv Regional Foundation "Public Alternative" - Ukraine

101. La Strada International - The Netherlands

102. La Voix des Sans Voix pour les Droits de l'Homme (VSV) - Democratic Republic of Congo

103. Latvian Human Rights Committee (LHRC) - Latvia

104. Lawyer's Committee for Human Rights YUCOM - Serbia

105. League for the Defence of Human Rights in Iran (LDDHI) - Iran

106. Legal Policy Research Centre (LPRC) - Kazakhstan

107. Libereco Partnership of Human Rights - Germany/ Switzerland

108. LICADHO - Cambodia

109. Lifespark - Switzerland

110. Liga Portuguesa dos Direitos Humanos - Civitas (LPDHC) - Portugal

111. Liga voor de Rechten van de Mens (LvRM) (Dutch League for Human Rights) - The Netherlands

112. Ligue des droits de l'Homme (LDH) - France

113. Ligue Tchadienne des droits de l'Homme - Tchad

114. Maldivian Democracy Network (MDN) - Maldives

115. Martin Ennals Foundation - Switzerland

116. Minority Rights Group - Greece

117. Mouvance des Abolitionnistes du Congo Brazzaville - Congo Brazzaville

118. Mouvement Ivoirien des Droits Humains (MIDH) - Côte d'Ivoire

119. Mouvement Lao pour les Droits de l'Homme - Laos

120. Movimento Nacional de Direitos Humanos (MNDH) - Brazil

121. Netherlands Helsinki Committee - The Netherlands

122. Norwegian Helsinki Committee - Norway

123. Observatoire du système pénal et des droits humains (OSPDH) - Spain

124. Observatoire Marocain des prisons - Morocco

125. Odhikar - Bangladesh

126. OPEN ASIA|Armanshahr - France

127. Organisation contre la torture en Tunisie (OCTT) - Tunisie

128. Organisation Guineenne de Defense des Droits de l'Homme et du Citoyen (OGDH) - Guinea

129. Österreichische Liga für Menschenrechte ÖLFMR - Austria

130. Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) - Palestine

131. Pax Christi Uvira - Democratic Republic of Congo

132. People's Watch India

133. Programa Venezolano de Educación-Acción en Derechos Humanos (Provea) - Venezuela

134. Promo LEX Association - Republic of Moldova

135. Protection International (PI)

136. Public Association "Dignity" - Kazakhstan

137. Public Association Spravedlivost Human Rights Organization - Kyrgyzstan

138. Public Verdict Foundation - Russia

139. Rencontre Africaine pour la Défense des Droits de l'Homme RADDHO - Senegal

140. Repecap Academics - Spain

141. Réseau des Defenseurs des Droits Humains en Afrique Centrale (REDHAC) - Cameroon

142. Réseau National de Défense des Droits Humains (RNDDH) - Haïti

143. Rights Realization Centre - UK

144. Rural People`s Sangam - India

145. Salam for Democracy and Human Rights - UK, Lebanon, Bahrain

146. Social-Strategic Researches and Analytical Investigations Public Union (SSRAIPU) - Azerbaijan

147. SOHRAM-CASRA - Centre Action Sociale Réhabilitation et Réadaptation pour les Victimes de la Torture, de la guerre et de la violence - Turquie

148. SOS-Torture/Burundi - Burundi

149. SUARAM - Malaysia

150. Syndicat national des agents de la formation et de l'education du Niger (SYNAFEN NIGER) - Niger

151. Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP) - Philippines

152. Thai Action Committee for Democaracy in Burma (TACDB) - Thailand

153. The Advocates for Human Rights - United States of America

154. The Barys Zvozskau Belarusian Human Rights House (BHRH) - Lithuania

155. The Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS) - Indonesia

156. The International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT)

157. Urgent Action Fund for Women's Human Rights United States of America

158. Vietnam Committee on Human Rights (VCHR) - France

159. World Coalition Against the Death Penalty (WCADP) - France

160. World Organization Against Torture (OMCT) - Switzerland

161. Xumek asociación para la promoción y protección de los derechos humanos - Argentina