Gennady Fedynich
Gennady Fedynich is the Chairman of the Belarusian Independent Trade Union of Radio and Electronic Industry Workers (REP), which works to promote labour and socio-economic rights in Belarus. The Trade Union also participated in the mobilisation of protests against Presidential Decree No. 3 “On Prevention of Social Dependency”, which established a fee on the unemployed, and provided legal assistance to participants of the protests.
The environment for the work of human rights defenders (HRDs) in Belarus has continuously deteriorated since an authoritarian political regime was established there in 1994. HRDs are systematically subjected to intimidation and harassment, including judicial harassment, restrictions on freedom of expression, association and assembly, and movement, as well as arbitrary detention and conviction, ill-treatment and defamation, searches of offices and personal belongings, and confiscations of equipment. The widespread impunity of law enforcement officers contributes to even further human rights violations and retaliations against HRDs.
