Viasna

Human Rights Center "Viasna" is a non-governmental human rights organization, founded in 1996 during mass protest actions of the democratic opposition in Belarus. It was initially a group established to assist the arrested participants and their families. Then, in 1999, the organization was registered as the Human Rights Center "Viasna". In 2004 the Human Rights Center "Viasna" became member of the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH). 

Its central office is in Minsk and there are regional organizations in the majority of Belarusian cities with about 200 members all over the country.

The main objective of "Viasna" is to promote the development of civic society in Belarus, based on the respect of human rights, as underlined in both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus. Moreover "Viasna" provides assistance to civic initiatives and legal defense to citizens.