Belarusian human rights organization Legal Initiative, with the support of Viasna Human Rights Center, the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, Respect-Protect-Fulfill, Human Constanta, and PEN Belarus, has sent an official appeal to the
Freedom for all political prisoners in Belarus!
We, the undersigned, are concerned that, amid the current global situation, the plight of political prisoners in Belarus may slip out of the public eye. Meanwhile, the catastrophic situation of approximately 1,200 political prisoners requires immediate intervention.
UPD. The House of Representatives of the National Assembly passed the draft law “On Amnesty in Connection with the 80th Anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War” in two readings. The amnesty does not extend to individuals who have expressed civil dissent.
Call to action: Begin taking concrete steps to overcome the national crisis and use the amnesty as an opportunity to release individuals who have peacefully expressed civil dissent.
On the anniversary of the sentence handed down to well-known human rights defenders Ales Bialiatski, Valiantsin Stefanovic, and Uladzimir Labkovich, the human rights community issued a statement calling on the international community and demanding that the authorities of Belarus make every possible effort to ensure the unconditional release and rehabilitation of all political prisoners in Belarus.
Joint statement by the Belarusian human rights community
September 18, 2023
We, representatives of the human rights community of the Republic of Belarus, having received, collected, and analyzed information about the criminal prosecution by the Belarusian authorities of participants of peaceful assemblies during and after the 2020 presidential elections, the sentences and their execution against the participants, the legal status of those convicted under the so-called "extremist" articles of the Criminal Code, note the following:
It became known on 11 July 2023 that the Belarusian political prisoner, artist Aleś Puškin [Ales Pushkin] died in the hospital’s intensive care unit. According to reports, he developed peritonitis due to untimely medical care, resulting in a septic condition and multiple organ failure.
Belarusian authorities should immediately end the ill-treatment of Maria Kalesnikava and all the other political prisoners, 24 international and Belarusian rights groups said today. Kalesnikava is being held in solitary confinement and is not receiving adequate medical care despite serious health problems. She is being denied essential foods and medicines.
The Belarusian Helsinki Committee has informed the UN Special Rapporteurs on the right to health, the rights of persons with disabilities
Statement by the human rights community of Belarus
On May 7, 2023, it was reported that political prisoner Mikalai Klimovich died in Penal Colony No. 3, Vićba town. He was convicted under Article 368 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus (“insulting the president”). At present, the cause of death and other circumstances leading to this tragedy are unknown. In light of another political prisoner's death in Belarus, we believe it is necessary to make the following statement.
BHC provided information to the Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons, which is a partial answer to its request to prepare a thematic Human Rights Council in 2023 on violence, abuse and neglect of older persons.
In the report we revealed that at least 40 elderly people are now imprisoned for political reasons, 5 of whom are over the age of 70.
