Participation in governing the country through periodic, free and democratic elections is one of the freedoms guaranteed to the citizens of Belarus, both by the Constitution and by international human rights standards, in particular by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. // 19.06.2020
These events are not consistent with fair and democratic elections. It will be recalled that in accordance with the OSCE Copenhagen Document, the Republic of Belarus, as a member state of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, declared that the “will of the people, freely and fairly expressed through periodic and genuine elections, is the basis of the authority and legitimacy of all government.” It also undertook to “respect the right of their citizens to take part in the governing of their country, either directly or through representatives freely chosen by them through fair electoral processes.” // 12.06.2020
According to paragraph 3.1 of the Guidelines on the Definition of a Political Prisoner, which were approved by the Belarusian human rights community at the 3rd Human Rights Forum, imprisonment of a person in connection with their non-violent exercise of freedoms guaranteed by international human rights law is grounds for recognizing such a person as a political person. Such a person should, therefore, be immediately released. // 11.06.2020
The Legal Transformation Center and the Belarusian Helsinki Committee have reviewed the draft laws that may affect the human rights situation in Belarus. // 20.05.2020
We consider the persecution and imprisonment of Aliaksandr Tsialeha, Uladzislau Shynkovich, Siarhei Khavanski, Artsiom Kasach and Yauhen Liutski to be politically motivated, as they are related to the peaceful exercise of freedom expression. The convicts are therefore political prisoners, in accordance with paragraph 3.1 (a) of the Guidelines on the Definition of Political Prisoners. // 15.05.2020
