Schlagwort: Amnesty International

Reacting to the Belarusian authorities’ refusal to disclose the fate and whereabouts of the recently released opposition politician Mikalai Statkevich, Maria Guryeva, Amnesty International’s Senior Campaigner, said:

“The ongoing lack of information about Mikalai Statkevich’s fate and whereabouts is profoundly worrying. He has not been seen since he was taken to the border with Lithuania where he refused to go into exile, after being released from prison. This has prompted fears the Belarusian authorities have returned him to prison. There is a clear and simple term for this: forced disappearance. Mikalai Statkevich’s whereabouts must be immediately disclosed, his safety guaranteed, and his continued detention brought to an end. He should have never been imprisoned in the first place, nor denied his right to stay in his country.

“Mikalai Statkevich’s forced disappearance following his refusal to leave his homeland is a chilling reminder of how appalling the human rights situation in Belarus is, under Aliaksandr Lukashenka. And let’s make no mistake about the recent prisoner release: the authorities in Belarus cannot be said to be rectifying injustices or showing good will – not when they continue to arbitrarily detain people in retaliation for expressing dissent.

The authorities in Belarus cannot be said to be rectifying injustices or showing good will – not when they continue to arbitrarily detain people in retaliation for expressing dissent

Maria Guryeva, Amnesty International’s Senior Campaigner

“The Belarusian authorities must stop using people imprisoned on political grounds as bargaining chips on the international stage. They must immediately and unconditionally free all those imprisoned for attempting to exercise their human rights. And they must not force anyone to exile.”

Background

On 15 September, Nasha Niva, an independent Belarusian media in exile, reported that Mikalai Statkevich, a prominent opposition politician and long-time government critic, had been returned to the prison colony in Hlybokaye, the same strict-regime facility where he had been serving a 14-year sentence under false charges of “organizing mass unrest” until four days ago.

Mikalai Statkevich was released on 11 September 2025 as part of a political deal in which 52 prisoners were freed in exchange for the lifting of U.S. sanctions on the Belarusian state airline Belavia. Out of these 52, local human rights defenders consider 40, including Statkevich, to have been prosecuted on politically motivated grounds. Belarusian authorities attempted to deport the entire group the next day, transporting them to the Lithuanian border. However, Statkevich refused to leave Belarus, declaring “I will keep fighting!” before forcing his way out of the bus in which he was being transported alongside other former prisoners, in the neutral zone. CCTV footage shows him being detained again by masked men coming from the Belarusian side.

No official confirmation of his whereabouts has been issued by the authorities. According to research by the NGO Belarusian Investigative Centre, and based on reporting by the Human Rights Centre Viasna, between 21 June 2025 – the date of the first U.S.-mediated prisoner release – and 11 September, the Belarusian authorities released 53 individuals imprisoned on political grounds (excluding Mikalai Statkevich), while 103 others were newly deprived of freedom, also on politically motivated grounds. The total number of victims of politically motivated prosecution who remain in Belarusian prisons, according to Viasna, is over 1,160.

The post Belarus: Released prisoner Mikalai Statkevich forcibly disappeared after refusing to be exiled appeared first on Amnesty International.

Côte d’Ivoire’s next president must seize the opportunity of their mandate to prioritize the human rights of everyone in the country, Amnesty International said as it launched a manifesto setting out six key priorities for the next administration. The official list of candidates for the 25 October election was published on 9 September.

“Over the next five years, the president should address violations of the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly. They should end forced evictions and support affected people, ensure respect for the right to truth, justice and reparation for victims of electoral violence, protect the rights of women and children and the right to a healthy environment,” said Marceau Sivieude, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa.

These elections offer an opportunity to strengthen respect for human rights in Côte d’Ivoire. We call on all candidates to commit to this.

Marceau Sivieude, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa.

Ensure and protect freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly  

The Criminal Code criminalizes the dissemination of ‘false information’ and provides for prison sentences for organizers of or participants in undeclared protests. These provisions are often used to silence critical voices. Furthermore, the authorities can currently dissolve organizations by a simple decree, without the possibility of appeal.

It is essential to amend the law on the organization of civil society to guarantee the right to freedom of association, to revise the Penal Code to reduce the penalties for disseminating false information and to ensure its compliance with international human rights standards.

“The future president must commit to ending abusive legal proceedings and all forms of intimidation, harassment or violence against individuals and legal entities simply for exercising their human rights,” said Marceau Sivieude.

End forced evictions and fairly compensate victims

Although support measures for the tens of thousands of victims of forced evictions have been announced, they remain insufficient and have not been implemented for all victims.

Amnesty International calls on the next president to put an end to forced evictions, in accordance with the country’s obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the UN International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, ratified by Côte d’Ivoire in 1992. All victims should be guaranteed fair compensation and adequate and secure rehousing.

Ensure right to truth, justice and reparations 

The 2018 amnesty law benefited hundreds of people prosecuted or convicted for offences related to the 2010–2011 post-election violence. In the violence that followed the 2020 elections, 85 people were killed and hundreds injured. Victims and their families are still waiting for justice and reparations. Since 2020, individuals and non-governmental organizations can no longer bring cases directly before the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights because the authorities withdrew the declaration that made this possible.

“Efforts towards national reconciliation must not compromise the rights of victims and families of victims of electoral violence. Domestic justice mechanisms must be strengthened, and the jurisdiction of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights to receive complaints must be restored,” said Marceau Sivieude. 

Tackle gender-based violence

Despite progress, sexual violence survivors continue to face obstacles in accessing justice and support services. For instance, a paid medical certificate is still required when filing rape complaints, and the Penal Code establishes a presumption of consent between spouses.

There is an urgent need to ensure the enforcement of laws against gender-based violence and to guarantee that survivors have access to medical care and forensic examinations, psychological counselling and shelters without delay or financial barriers.

Children’s rights should be protected

The president should prioritize the fight against child labour, which despite some progress persists as noted by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery. The authorities should conduct investigations and bring alleged perpetrators to justice. They must ensure access to justice and effective remedies to victims.

It is also essential to facilitate access to civil registration for all children to ensure their human rights.

Ensure and guarantee right to a healthy environment

Already vulnerable rural communities are seeing their land reduced or seized, sometimes without adequate consultation or fair compensation, due to the expansion of agricultural land and illegal logging. The chemicals used in gold mining are making water sources unfit for consumption and agriculture.

There is an urgent need to enforce laws against illegal deforestation, unsustainable logging and land grabbing, to establish consultation and compensation mechanisms, and to facilitate communities’ access to information and remedies when their human rights are violated through environmental degradation, including climate change impacts. The communities’ initiatives must be supported and integrated into public policy.

“The recommendations in our manifesto are not exhaustive, but they provide the future president with a roadmap. These elections offer an opportunity to strengthen respect for human rights in Côte d’Ivoire. We call on all candidates to commit to this,” said Marceau Sivieude.

The post Côte d’Ivoire: Next president must tackle urgent human rights issues appeared first on Amnesty International.

Reacting to the release of 52 people imprisoned under politically motivated charges, including journalists, independent trade union leaders and activists, in Belarus, Anna Wright, Regional Researcher for Amnesty International, said:

“The release of 52 people locked up prison in Belarus for exercising their right to freedom of expression is welcome, but long overdue. While their walk to freedom is a relief, more than 1,000 people unjustly criminalized remain behind bars in the country.

“The Belarusian authorities continue their vicious crackdown on dissent. Anyone who dares criticize or protest against the government risks arbitrary arrest and detention, torture and other ill-treatment, as well as unfair trial. The climate of repression in Belarus remains all-pervasive.  

“The depth of ongoing abuse is exemplified by the outrageous treatment of opposition politician Mikalai Statkevich – who, alongside the other released prisoners, was brought to the Lithuanian border, where he had to fight for his right not to be exiled.

“The only acceptable resolution to the ongoing human rights crisis in Belarus is the immediate and unconditional release of all those detained solely for exercising their human rights.”

Background

On 1 September 2025, 52 people were freed from arbitrary detention as part of a deal between Belarusian President Aliaksandr Lukashenka and US President Donald Trump.

In exchange, the US has said it will ease some sanctions on Belarus. The prisoner release coincided with a joint military exercise between Russia and Belarus, and followed an earlier incident which Poland called an unprecedented Russian drone incursion into its airspace.

The post Belarus: Release of 52 prisoners “welcome” but without accountability repression persists appeared first on Amnesty International.