3157th FOREIGN AFFAIRS Council meeting Brussels, 22 and 23 March 2012

Submitted by admin on Tue, 04/03/2012 - 07:42

 Council conclusions on on Belarus
 
3157th FOREIGN AFFAIRS Council meeting
Brussels, 22 and 23 March 2012

The Council adopted the following conclusions:

"1. Recalling the Council conclusions on 31 January 2011 and 20 June 2011, the Council reiterates its grave concern about the continued lack of respect for human rights, democracy
and rule of law in Belarus, and regrets that further repressive measures have taken place.

2.  As the political prisoners have not been released and rehabilitated, and against the background of the further deterioration of the situation, the Council decided to designate additional persons responsible for serious violations of human rights or the repression of civil society and democratic opposition, to the list of those subject to travel restrictions and assets freezes. The Council also decided to designate further businessmen and companies benefitting from or supporting the regime and will agree further such designations at upcoming Council meetings if all Belarusian political prisoners are not released. The EU´s restrictive measures remain open and under constant review.

Read...

Official sourse: http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_Data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/...

News of Belarus

Aleh Volchak sentenced to 4 days of arrest

Submitted by admin on Tue, 01/31/2012 - 12:56

The human rights activist Aleh Volchak was detained outdoors on 27 January in Minsk and guarded to the Maskouski District Police Department of Minsk.

He was charged with using obscene language in public (Article 17.1 of the Code of Administrative Offences, “disorderly conduct”) and spent the week-end in custody in the delinquents’ isolation center in Akrestsin Street.

OMCT urges Belarusian authorities to release Aleh Volchak

Submitted by admin on Sun, 01/29/2012 - 14:09

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), requests your intervention in the following situation in Belarus.

Description of the situation:

Human rights activist Aleh Vouchak arrested

Submitted by admin on Fri, 01/27/2012 - 15:24

Vouchak is reported to have been accused of disorderly conduct. He is to be tried on Monday.

Human rights defender Aleh Vouchak was detained in the street at 3:35 pm.

Vouchak’s friends posted on Facebook a policeman came to the activist to check his ID. The human rights defender informed he was being held in the Maskouski district police department, “Nasha Niva” newspaper informs.