Condemnation of the latest repressions in Belarus

With the 13 July 2011 ‘Letter concerning mass arrests in Belarus’ sent to Belarusian authorities, the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights and thirty-seven other organisations from sixteen states condemned the continued repressions against civil society and the recent arrests of peaceful demonstrators in Belarus.

Over the past two months, civic activists have been organising silent protests throughout Belarus. The initiative has attracted hundreds of demonstrators who have gathered in streets across the country to peacefully protest the deteriorating political and social situation in Belarus. Since 15 June 2011, at least 1,730 people have been arrested during these peaceful demonstrations. In its letter addressed to the Belarusian authorities, the organisations called upon them to stop the harassment of those exercising their rights to freedom of assembly and expression, release the demonstrators from prisons and stop the preventive detentions of journalists, human rights defenders and civic and political activists.