Belarus Country
Human Rights
First, DRL strives to learn the truth and state the facts in all of its human rights investigations, reports on country conditions, speeches and votes in the UN, and asylum profiles. Each year, DRL develops, edits, and submits to Congress a 5,000-page report on human rights conditions in over 190 countries that is respected globally for its objectivity and accuracy. DRL also provides relevant information on country conditions to the Immigration and Naturalization Service and immigration judges in asylum cases. ... [Read More]
Belarus
The country was both a country of origin and a country of transit for women and girls being trafficked to Central and Western Europe for purposes of prostitution and sexual exploitation. According to an official with Germany's Federal Interior Ministry, in 2001 approximately 1,000 Belarusian women were trafficked to Germany and forced to work as prostitutes. The official estimates that the number during the year was significantly higher. The authorities have not released any statistics, but according to country NGOs, several thousand Belarusian women were victims of trafficking. Belarus was a country of origin and transit for women being trafficked to Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Germany, Israel, Poland, Czech Republic, Turkey, Cyprus, Greece, Hungary and the Federated Republic of Yugoslavia. ... [Read More]
International Adoption Belarus
NATURALIZATION: Under the Child Citizenship Act of 2000, which became effective on February 27, 2001, orphans adopted by U.S. citizens acquire U.S. citizenship automatically when all of the following requirements have been met: at least one parent is a U.S. citizen; the child is under 18 years of age; there is a full and final adoption of the child; and, the child is admitted to the United States as an immigrant. [Read More]
Belarus (10/04)
In 2003, the authorities took numerous measures to suppress independent trade unions and continued to interfere in the work of the BFTU, especially regarding activities of independent, affiliated unions. In May, the trade unions at nine state enterprises merged to form the Belarusian Union of Industry Workers (BUIW), which subsequently became a member of Koziks BFTU. The authorities and directors of state enterprises placed significant pressure on workers to join the BUIW. Independent union activists called the BUIW a pro-government, "yellow union" established to quell resistance to BFTU's pro-government agenda and undermine reformist grassroots unions. In June 2003, the International Labor Organization's (ILO) Standards Committee included the country in its special paragraph on trade union violations for a second consecutive year and urged the government to address the ILO recommendations to eliminate government interference in unions. On November 19, the ILO approved the establishme ... [Read More]
2004 Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Belarus
The country's poor human rights record continued to draw the attention of many international human rights organizations. Authorities were increasingly reluctant to discuss human rights with international NGOs, whose members often had difficulty travelling to the country and were occasionally expelled from the country. The authorities increased their harassment, often through tax assessments and inspections, of international NGOs working in the country. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs refused to reregister the Union of Councils for Jews in the Former Soviet Union (UCSJ), an affiliate of a foreign based organization, ostensibly because some of its documents had been submitted late (see Section 2.c.). ... [Read More]
Belarus
The country was both a country of origin and a country of transit for women and girls being trafficked to Central and Western Europe for purposes of prostitution and sexual exploitation. The open border with Russia made the country a likely transit route for victims from Russia and points eastward. Trafficking remained a significant problem. The MOI was investigating leads concerning the alleged trafficking of Belarusian women to Cyprus. MOI investigators estimated that approximately 500 Belarusians may have been trafficked to Cyprus during the past 3 years. Victims were forced to work as dancers and prostitutes in Cypriot clubs, bars, and restaurants. The authorities released limited statistics on the problem of trafficking. According to country NGOs, several thousand Belarusian women were victims of trafficking. The country was also a country of origin and transit for women being trafficked to Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Germany, Israel, Poland, Czech Republic, Turkey, C ... [Read More]
Belarus
Country Studies (Library of Congress) ... [Read More]
Belarus
CRIMINAL PENALTIES: While in a foreign country, a U.S. citizen is subject to that country's laws and regulations, which sometimes differ significantly from those in the United States and may not afford the protections available to the individual under U.S. law. Penalties for breaking the law can be more severe than in the United States for similar offenses. Persons violating Belarus’ laws, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested or imprisoned. Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Belarus are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines. Engaging in illicit sexual conduct with children or using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country is a crime, prosecutable in the United States. For mo ... [Read More]
1998 Human Rights Report - Balarus
The Constitution states that all citizens are equal before thelaw and have the right, without any discrimination, to equal protectionof their rights and legitimate interests. However, the Constitutiondoes not specifically prohibit discrimination based on factorssuch as race, sex, or religion. The Law on Citizenship, passedby the Parliament, grants citizenship to any person living permanentlyon the territory of the country as of October 19, 1991. Thosewho arrived in the country after that date and wish to becomecitizens are required to submit an application for citizenship,take an oath to support the Constitution, have a legal sourceof income, and have lived in the country for 7 years. ... [Read More]
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