Ms Tsapok was travelling to Minsk, but she was stopped at the “Teryukha” frontier post of the Ukrainian-Belarus border and sent back to Ukraine. No explanation was given about this denial, either written or spoken.

Last month, the same thing happened to Maxim Kitsyuk, a representative of the International Observation Mission, and to YHRM's Andrey Yurov, Head of the Committee on International Control over the Situation with Human Rights in Belarus, which FLARE is a member of.

By denying entry to human rights activists, Belarus clearly violates its international obligations as an OSCE member.

Responding to an appeal by the Committee, we kindly ask you all to urge the Belarusian authorities to:

• Put an end to the obstacles to freedom of movement of Ms Marina Tsapok and all members of humanitarian organisations, as they seem to merely aim at sanctioning their human rights activities;
• Put an end to all forms of harassment against the above-mentioned human rights defenders, and more generally against all human rights defenders in the country or entering the country, and ensure that they are able to carry out their work freely without any hindrances in all circumstances;
• Comply with the international rules about human rights defenders, particularly Articles 1 and 12 of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, the European Convention on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

You may address the Belarusian authorities at the contacts below:

President Alexander Lukashenko
ul .Karla Marksa, 38, 220016 Minsk
Fax: +375 172 26 06 10 or +375 172 22 38 72
Email: infogrp@president.gov.by

Head of the Administration of the President of Belarus
Mr. Vladimir Vladimirovich Makei
Ul. K. Marksa 34, 220016 Minsk
Fax: +375 17 226-06-10

General Prosecutor, Grigory Alekseevich Vasilevich
Internatsionalnaya str. 22, 220050 Minsk
Fax: +375 17 226 42 52

Minister of Justice of Belarus
Mr. Viktor Grigorevich Golovanov
Ul. Kollektornaya, 10, 220004 Minsk
Email kanc@minjust.by

President of the Supreme Court of Belarus
Mr. Valentin Olegovich Sukalo
Ul. Lenina, 28, 220030 Minsk
Email: scjustrb@pmrb.gov.by

Permanent Mission of Belarus to the United Nations in Geneva
15 Avenue de la Paix, 1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland
Fax: +41 22 748 24 51
Email: mission.belarus@ties.itu.int

Embassy of Belarus in Brussels
192 Avenue Molière 100 Ixelles, Belgium
Fax: +32 2.340.02.87
Email: embbel@skynet.be

You might also write to the diplomatic mission or embassy of Belarus in your country.

More information about the fact can be found here