The Human Rights Centre “Viasna”

The Human Rights Centre “Viasna” is a non-governmental human rights organization active since 1996. It is a nation-wide NGO with a central office in Minsk and a dozen local offices across the country. Viasna has about 200 members.

In 2003, the Supreme Court groundlessly cancelled the registration of Viasna for its participation in the observation of the presidential election of 2001. On 6 March 2004, the Human Rights Centre “Viasna” became member of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH).

The main goal of Viasna is defending human rights in order to secure respect for them by the government in the interests of everyone, without discrimination, and building a just, free and democratic society.

Viasna’s key priorities:
– Legal support to the victims of human rights violations;
– Researching and monitoring the human rights situation in Belarus;
– Human rights education;
– Campaigning for the abolition of the death penalty;
– Monitoring prison conditions;
– Election observation, etc.

Date founded

1996             

Structure type

NGO             

Contact informations