News

  • APPLICATION TO THE UN SPECIAL PROCEDURES REGARDING THE ADOPTION OF A BILL THAT ALLOWS THE POSSIBILITY OF APPLYING THE DEATH PENALTY FOR TREASON TO THE STATE

    According to the BHC, such actions can be qualified as a violation by Belarus of its obligations under international law, in particular paragraph 2 of Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which states that death sentences can be imposed only for the most serious crimes. The Human Rights Committee, for its part, clarified in general comment No. 36 that the term "most serious crimes" should be interpreted restrictively and only mean crimes of the utmost gravity involving intentional homicide. We paid attention to the Committee's position that, since the death penalty is incompatible with the full enjoyment of the right to life, states should strive for its absolute abolition. And the adoption by state parties of measures that de facto result in an increase in the number and extent of their use of the death penalty, or in a decrease in the number of cases they grant pardons and commutations of sentences, is contrary to the object and purpose of article 6. //
  • Contact Group of the Belarusian society in the Council of Europe: questions and answers

    Some clarifications of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee about the stage of the work of the "contact group" and what agenda the human rights activists are promoting. //
  • The Belarusian Helsinki Committee and the Belarusian Medical Solidarity Foundation appealed to the Red Cross organizations on the issue of discrimination by the Secretary General of the Belarusian Red Cross Society (BORC)

    On October 18, 2022, the Secretary General of the Belarusian Red Cross Society (BORC), doctor Dzmitry Shautsou, spoke on the STV channel about gender identity and sexual orientation. His comment contained discriminatory and stigmatizing theses. //
  • We start fighting official presidential decree 368 that is bringing surveillance to an unprecendented level, focusing on business and human rights

    In addition, the imposition of such obligations on Belarusian companies in the ICT sector and online service providers means that all telecom operators and service providers, as well as owners of Internet resources, will be complicit in violating the rights of their customers if they comply with the Decree. That is, this decree is another situation where the state draws businesses into violation of human rights. //
  • Information on the accessibility of COVID-19 vaccine in Belarus was sent to the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

    The report includes not only general information on equal and free-of-charge access to vaccination in Belarus but also data on forced vaccination in certain state institutions. It was highlighted in the report that free and equal access had been applicable only to certain vaccines, such as the Russian vaccine Sputnik V or Chinese Vero Cell. The report also informed about the state policy towards vaccination against COVID-19, such as the refusal to join the international initiative COVAX. //
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