{"id":3129,"date":"2020-08-06T18:38:10","date_gmt":"2020-08-06T15:38:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/humanconstanta.org\/?p=3129"},"modified":"2020-08-06T18:50:18","modified_gmt":"2020-08-06T15:50:18","slug":"human-rights-groups-appeal-to-president-of-belarus-to-keepiton-during-elections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/humanconstanta.org\/en\/human-rights-groups-appeal-to-president-of-belarus-to-keepiton-during-elections\/","title":{"rendered":"Human rights groups appeal to President of Belarus to #KeepItOn during elections"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Access Now, together with 39 other international rights groups, including members of the #KeepItOn coalition \u2014 a global network of human rights organizations that work to end internet shutdowns \u2014 and partners in Belarus, is urgently calling on President Alexander Lukashenko to ensure that internet access in Belarus remains open, accessible and secure during the presidential elections on August 9, 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We express concern over the deterioration of the human rights situation in Belarus, including reports<\/a> of alleged mobile internet jamming, arbitrary arrests and detention of journalists<\/a>, and harassment of human rights defenders and members of the political opposition<\/a> in the country. These reported incidents of harassment are compounding in an atmosphere of fear and panic<\/a> among the people of Belarus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The petitioners deplore these acts of abuse as contributors to a lack of an open and active civic space in Belarus in the lead up to the elections, and appeal to the government to take urgent steps to end further human rights violations.. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor an election to be fair and democratic, people need to be allowed to access information, ask questions, and inform themselves before heading to the polls,\u201d said Felicia Anthonio, <\/strong>Campaigner, #KeepItOn Lead at Access Now<\/strong>. \u201cShutting down the internet during the upcoming elections will mean robbing people of their agency,  denying them their right to participate in shaping their future, and snatching away any chance to hold their leaders accountable. We call on the government to keep it on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We call on the Belarusian authorities to uphold fundamental human rights, including freedom of opinion and expression, freedom of the press, access to information, and freedom of association, and to peaceful assembly  \u2014 all of which are cornerstones of every democratic society during the elections and beyond.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The appeal is made via an open letter<\/a> sent to the government of Belarus on August 5, 2020, urging President Lukashenko to consider the following recommendations in order to ensure transparency and active participation both offline and online in the upcoming elections:\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n