Belarus: Global letter in solidarity with the Belarusian civil society
‘You can cut all the flowers, but you cannot keep the Spring from coming’
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
- Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran - Iran
- ACAT Belgique - Belgium
- ACAT Burundi - Burundi
- ACAT España-Catalunya (Acción de los Cristianos para la Abolición de la Tortura) - Spain
- ACAT Germany (Action by Christians for the Abolition of Torture) - Germany
- ACAT Italia - Italy
- ACAT République Centrafricaine - Central African Republic
- ACAT République Démocratique du Congo - Democratic Republic of Congo
- ACAT Suisse - Switzerland
- ACAT Tchad - Tchad
- ACAT Togo - Togo
- Action Against Violence and Exploitation (ACTVE) - Philippines
- Action des Chrétiens Activistes des Droits de l’Homme à Shabunda (ACADHOSHA) - Democratic Republic of Congo
- Advocacy Forum – Nepal - Nepal
- Agir ensemble pour les droits humains - France
- Albanian Human Rights Group
- ALTSEAN-Burma - Myanmar
- Anti Death Penalty Asia Network (ADPAN) - Malaysia/Asia-Pacific
- Anti-Discrimination Centre Memorial - Belgium
- ARTICLE 19
- ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights - Indonesia
- Asia Pacific Solidarity Coalition (APSOC) - Philippines
- Asociación para una Ciudadanía Participativa (ACI PARTICIPA) - Honduras
- Asociación pro derechos humanos (Aprodeh) - Peru
- Association Mauritanienne des droits de l'homme (AMDH-Mauritanieuri) - Mauritania
- Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP) - India
- Association Tchadienne pour la promotion et la Défense des Droits de l'Homme (ATPDH) - Tchad
- Association tunisienne des femmes démocrates - Tunisia
- Avocats Sans Frontières France (ASF France) - France
- Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM) - India
- Belarusian-Swiss Association RAZAM.CH - Switzerland
- Bulgarian Helsinki Committee - Bulgaria
- Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) - Cambodia
- Capital Punishment Justice Project (CPJP) - Australia
- Center for Civil Liberties - Ukraine
- Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) - United States of America
- Centre for Applied Human Rights (CAHR), University of York - United Kingdom
- Centre for the Development of Democracy and Human Rights (CDDHR) - Russia
- Centro de Derechos humanos Fray Bartolomé de las Casas A.c. (Frayba) - Mexico
- Centro de Derechos Humanos Paso del Norte - Mexico
- Centro de Investigación y Promoción de los Derechos Humanos (CIPRODEH) - Honduras
- Centro de Prevención, Tratamiento y Rehabilitación de Victimas de la Tortura y sus familiares (CPTRT) - Honduras
- Centro de Salud Mental y Derechos Humanos (CINTRAS) - Chile
- Changement Social Bénin (CSB) - Benin
- CIVICUS
- Civil Rights Defenders (CRD) - Sweden
- Comision Nacional de los Derechos Humanos (CNDH-RD) - Dominican Republic
- Coalition Burkinabé des Défenseurs des Droits Humains (CBDDH) - Burkina Faso
- Coalition Marocaine contre la Peine de Mort - Morocco
- Coalition Tunisienne Contre la Peine de Mort - Tunisia
- Collectif des Associations Contre l'Impunité au Togo (CACIT) - Togo
- Comisión de derechos humanos – COMISEDH - Peru
- Comité de Familiares de Detenidos Desaparecidos en Honduras (COFADEH) - Honduras
- Comité de solidaridad con los presos políticos (FCSPP) - Colombia
- Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ) - Northern Ireland (UK)
- Crude Accountability - United States of America
- Czech League of Human Rights Czech Republic
- Death Penalty Focus (DPF) - United States of America
- Defenders of human rights centre - Iran
- DEMAS - Association for Democracy Assistance and Human Rights - Czech Republic
- DITSHWANELO - The Botswana Centre for Human Rights - Botswana
- Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum (EaP CSF) - Belgium
- Eleos Justice, Monash University - Australia
- Enfants Solidaires d'Afrique et du Monde (ESAM) - Benin
- Federal Association of Vietnam-Refugees in the Federal Republic of Germany - Germany
- FIDU - Italian Federation for Human Rights - Italy
- Finnish League for Human Rights - Finland
- Free Press Unlimited - The Netherlands
- Fundación Regional de Asesoría en Derechos Humanos (INREDH) - Ecuador
- GABRIELA Alliance of Filipino Women - Philippines
- German Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (GCADP) - Germany
- Greek Helsinki Monitor Greece
- Helsinki Citizens' Assembly – Vanadzor - Armenia
- Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights - Poland
- Citizens' Watch Russia
- Human Rights Alert - India
- Human Rights Association (İHD) - Turkey
- Human Rights Center (HRC) - Georgia
- Human Rights Center (HRC) "Memorial" - Russia
- Human Rights House Foundation
- Human Rights in China (HRIC) - USA
- Human Rights Monitoring Institute (HRMI) - Lithuania
- Human Rights Mouvement “Bir Duino-Kyrgyzstan” - Kyrgyzstan
- Human Rights Organization of Nepal - Nepal
- Humanist Union of Greece (HUG) - Greece
- Hungarian Helsinki Committee - Hungary
- IDP Women Association "Consent" - Georgia
- Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU) - Kenya
- Instituto de Estudios Legales y Sociales del Uruguay (IELSUR) - Uruguay
- International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) - Kenyan Section - Kenya
- International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) - France
- International Legal Initiative - Kazakhstan
- International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR) - Belgium
- International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) - Switzerland
- Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society - India
- JANANEETHI - India
- Justice for Iran (JFI) - United Kingdom
- Justícia i Pau - Spain
- Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and the Rule of Law - Kazakhstan
- Kharkiv Regional Foundation "Public Alternative" - Ukraine
- La Strada International - The Netherlands
- La Voix des Sans Voix pour les Droits de l'Homme (VSV) - Democratic Republic of Congo
- Latvian Human Rights Committee (LHRC) - Latvia
- Lawyer's Committee for Human Rights YUCOM - Serbia
- League for the Defence of Human Rights in Iran (LDDHI) - Iran
- Legal Policy Research Centre (LPRC) - Kazakhstan
- Libereco Partnership of Human Rights - Germany/ Switzerland
- LICADHO - Cambodia
- Lifespark - Switzerland
- Liga Portuguesa dos Direitos Humanos - Civitas (LPDHC) - Portugal
- Liga voor de Rechten van de Mens (LvRM) (Dutch League for Human Rights) - The Netherlands
- Ligue des droits de l'Homme (LDH) - France
- Ligue Tchadienne des droits de l'Homme - Tchad
- Maldivian Democracy Network (MDN) - Maldives
- Martin Ennals Foundation - Switzerland
- Minority Rights Group - Greece
- Mouvance des Abolitionnistes du Congo Brazzaville - Congo Brazzaville
- Mouvement Ivoirien des Droits Humains (MIDH) - Côte d'Ivoire
- Mouvement Lao pour les Droits de l'Homme - Laos
- Movimento Nacional de Direitos Humanos (MNDH) - Brazil
- Netherlands Helsinki Committee - The Netherlands
- Norwegian Helsinki Committee - Norway
- Observatoire du système pénal et des droits humains (OSPDH) - Spain
- Observatoire Marocain des prisons - Morocco
- Odhikar - Bangladesh
- OPEN ASIA|Armanshahr - France
- Organisation contre la torture en Tunisie (OCTT) - Tunisie
- Organisation Guineenne de Defense des Droits de l'Homme et du Citoyen (OGDH) - Guinea
- Österreichische Liga für Menschenrechte ÖLFMR - Austria
- Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) - Palestine
- Pax Christi Uvira - Democratic Republic of Congo
- People's Watch India
- Programa Venezolano de Educación-Acción en Derechos Humanos (Provea) - Venezuela
- Promo LEX Association - Republic of Moldova
- Protection International (PI)
- Public Association "Dignity" - Kazakhstan
- Public Association Spravedlivost Human Rights Organization - Kyrgyzstan
- Public Verdict Foundation - Russia
- Rencontre Africaine pour la Défense des Droits de l'Homme RADDHO - Senegal
- Repecap Academics - Spain
- Réseau des Defenseurs des Droits Humains en Afrique Centrale (REDHAC) - Cameroon
- Réseau National de Défense des Droits Humains (RNDDH) - Haïti
- Rights Realization Centre - UK
- Rural People`s Sangam - India
- Salam for Democracy and Human Rights - UK, Lebanon, Bahrain
- Social-Strategic Researches and Analytical Investigations Public Union (SSRAIPU) - Azerbaijan
- SOHRAM-CASRA - Centre Action Sociale Réhabilitation et Réadaptation pour les Victimes de la Torture, de la guerre et de la violence - Turquie
- SOS-Torture/Burundi - Burundi
- SUARAM - Malaysia
- Syndicat national des agents de la formation et de l'education du Niger (SYNAFEN NIGER) - Niger
- Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP) - Philippines
- Thai Action Committee for Democaracy in Burma (TACDB) - Thailand
- The Advocates for Human Rights - United States of America
- The Barys Zvozskau Belarusian Human Rights House (BHRH) - Lithuania
- The Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS) - Indonesia
- The International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT)
- Urgent Action Fund for Women's Human Rights United States of America
- Vietnam Committee on Human Rights (VCHR) - France
- World Coalition Against the Death Penalty (WCADP) - France
- World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) - Switzerland
- Xumek asociación para la promoción y protección de los derechos humanos - Argentina