According to international monitoring organizations, Belarus has one of the world’s worst human rights records. Freedom House has labeled it among the “Worst of the Worst” in terms of rights violations and repression. Founded in 1998, Viasna was closed down by the Lukashenka regime in 2003. In 2007, the UN Human Rights Committee condemned the closure, finding it to have been in violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. After one registration denial in 2007 and two denials in 2009, Viasna abandoned attempts to obtain legal status in “Europe’s last dictatorship.” Not a single human rights organization has been registered in Belarus since 2003. 

 

According to the World Movement’s Defending Civil Society report, “The Right to Entry (Freedom of Association)” is essential for a functioning civil society. This first of six International Principles to Protect Civil Society, states that, “International law protects the right of individuals to form, join and participate in civil society organizations.” The World Movement Secretariat therefore urges the government of Belarus to adhere to fundamental rights of Freedom of Association by allowing all civil society organizations to register for legal status. Moreover, the World Movement encourages participants around the world to contact their various networks to raise awareness of this case, and to urge their own governments to demand that the Government of Belarus release Mr. Bialatski and respect the rights of civil society in the country.

For more information on this case from Radio Free Europe, go to: http://bit.ly/oS7a7L

 

To read Civicus’ press release, go to: http://bit.ly/pFiyT4

 

For information about Viasna, go to: http://spring96.org/en