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URGENT APPEAL - THEOBSERVATORY

BLR 002 / 0617 / OBS 060

Arbitrary detention

Belarus

June 2, 2017

The Observatory for theProtection of Human Rights Defenders, a partnership of FIDH and the WorldOrganisation Against Torture (OMCT), requests your urgent intervention in thefollowing situation in Belarus.

Description of the situation:

The Observatory has been informed by reliablesources about the re-arrest and arbitrary detention of Mr. PavelLevinau, human rights defender and board member of the Belarusian HelsinkiCommittee.

Accordingto the information received, on the evening of May 30, 2017, police officersarrested Mr. Pavel Levinau in Viciebsk and placed him in detention at thetemporary detention facility in Viciebsk. On April 17, 2017, Judge InaHrabouskaya of the Kastryčnicki district of Viciebsk sentenced him to 15 daysof administrative detention under article 23.34 of the Code of AdministrativeOffences for participating in an unauthorised protests on March 2 and 26, 2017(see background information). The judgment against Mr. Pavel Levinau was handed down in absentia, as he wasreceiving treatment outside Belarus.

On May5, after returning to Belarus, Mr. Pavel Levinau had been arrested by thepolice and detained until May 10, when he was taken to hospital due to highblood pressure, and later underwent a surgery, before he was finally dischargedfrom the hospital.

The Observatoryexpresses its deepest concern with the conviction and detention of Mr. Levinau,as they appear to be linked to his human rights activities. Mr. Levinau notablyobserved the violations and arbitrary detentions which occurred in March 2017,within the framework of peaceful protests opposing Presidential Decree No. 3 “On the prevention of dependency onsocial aid” (see background information).

TheObservatory therefore urges Belarusian authorities to immediately andunconditionally release Mr. Pavel Levinau and to put an end to all forms ofharassment, including at the judicial level, against him.

Background information:

Since the beginning of March, 2017, peacefulprotests have erupted throughout the country to oppose President Decree n.° 3“On the prevention of dependency on social aid” which in violation ofinternational human rights law sanctions unemployment by imposing a penaltyranging from a fee to imprisonment on Belarusian citizens who have worked lessthan a certain number of days.

Peaceful protests weremassively repressed with hundreds of protesters detained by the police[1].

Belarusian authorities arrested several humanrights defenders who have been sentenced under article 23.34 of the Code ofAdministrative Offences for “participating in an unauthorised peacefulassembly” in reprisal for their legitimate monitoring activities of observingmassive violations and arbitrary detention of peaceful protesters[2].

Amongst them, Mr. Pavel Levinau was arrested on March 26, 2017, for taking part in protests held inVitebsk on March 25 and 26 as an observer. Suffering from a heart problem, hisblood pressure increased while in detention, causing a hypertensive crisis.

Actions requested:

Pleasewrite to the authorities in Belarus, urging them to:

i. Immediately and unconditionally release Mr. Pavel Levinau;

ii. Put an end to all forms ofharassment, including at judicial level, against Mr. Pavel Levinau,as well as of all human rights defenders in Belarus;

iii. Guarantee in allcircumstances the physical and psychological integrity of Mr. Pavel Levinau,as well as of all human rights defenders in Belarus;

iv. Comply with all the provisions ofthe United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the UNGeneral Assembly on December 9, 1998, in particular with its Articles 1, 2, 5and 12.2;

v. Ensure in allcircumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordancewith international human rights standards and international instrumentsratified by Belarus.

Addresses:

· PresidentAliaksandr Lukashenka, Belarus, Fax: + 375 172 26 06 10 or + 375 172 22 38 72,Email: contact@president.gov.by

· GeneralProsecutor, Alexander Konyuk, Belarus, Fax: + 375 17 226 42 52

· Ministerof Justice of Belarus, Mr. Oleg Slizhevsky, Email: kanc@minjust.by, Fax: +375 17 200 86 87

· Presidentof the Supreme Court of Belarus, Mr. Valiantsin Alehavich Sukala, Belarus,Email: scjustrb@pmrb.gov.by

· Administrationof the Central District Court of Gomel, Tel/Fax: +375 232 77 68 77, Email:centr-gomel@court.by

· H.E.Mr. Yury Ambrazevich, Permanent Mission of Belarus to the United Nations inGeneva, Switzerland, Fax: +41 22 748 24 51. Email: mission.belarus@ties.itu.int

H.E. Mr. Aleksandr Mikhnevich,Embassy of Belarus in Brussels, Fax: + 32 2.340.02.87, Email:belgium@mfa.gov.by

Please also write to the diplomatic representations ofBelarus in your respective countries.

***

Paris-Geneva, June 2, 2017

Kindly inform us of any action undertakenquoting the code of this appeal in your reply.

TheObservatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (the Observatory) wascreated in 1997 by FIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT). Theobjective of this programme is to intervene to prevent or remedy situations ofrepression against human rights defenders. OMCT and FIDH are both membersof ProtectDefenders.eu,the European Union Human Rights Defenders Mechanism implemented byinternational civil society.

To contact the Observatory, call the emergencyline:

· E-mail:Appeals@fidh-omct.org

· Teland fax OMCT + 41 22 809 49 39 / + 41 22 809 49 29

· Tel and fax FIDH + 33 1 43 55 25 18/ +33 1 43 55 18 80

[1] [1]SeeFIDH Press Release, "Belarus crackdown: more than 200 arrested or detainedin two weeks", March 17, 2017, https://www.fidh.org/en/region/europe-central-asia/belarus/belarus-crackdown-more-than-200-arrested-or-detained-in-two-weeks

[2] See Observatory PressRelease, March 29, 2017.