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31 May 2021

Belarusian activists urge companies engaged with Belarus Government to take immediate action in response to ongoing human rights violations, incl. company responses

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Nationwide protests started in Belarus after official election results were announced on the night of 10 August, in which Aleksandr Lukashenko was declared the winner. Those results are seen by many in Belarus and abroad as being rigged in favor of Lukashenka. The protesters have faced violent persecution by the authorities. As of 10 January 2021, more than 30,000 Belarusians have been taken into police custody. A number of workers and trade union leaders were arrested and detained.

Concerned about this situation, Belarusian activists reached out to a large number of companies engaged with Belarus Government urging them to take immediate action in response to ongoing human rights violations.

Business and Human Rights Resource Centre invited 49 of those companies to respond. BASF SE, Commerzbank, Cummins, Daimler AG, Helaba, Henkel AG, KfW IPEX-Bank, Robert Bosch GmbH, Siemens AG, Société Générale, B.Strautmann & Söhne GmbH u. Co. KG and Zeppelin GmbH responded. Albert Karsten Holz-Importe GmbH, Amazonen-Werke H. Dreyer GmbH & Co. KG, AXXO Im- und Export GmbH, Barclays, Bayer AG, BMP Pharma Trading AG, Caterpillar, Citigroup, CLAAS KGaA, Duisburger Hafen AG, Eickhoff, Gersis GmbH, Goodyear, H&R Ölwerke Schindler GmbH, HanseCom Public Transport Ticketing Solutions GmbH, Hauni Maschinenbau GmbH, Heine + Beisswenger Stiftung + Co. KG, HLD Hoyerswerda Umwelt GmbH, IBA IT GmbH, Knauf Gips KG, Kontinent Spedition GmbH, Michelin, ML Lubrication GmbH, Mukran Port Sassnitz GmbH, REMONDIS SE & Co. KG, SAP SE, Schaeffler AG, Schenker Deutschland AG, SMS Group GmbH, Viessmann Werke GmbH, Yokohama and ZEISS did not respond.

Company responses and non-responses are available below. We will indicate here if we receive any additional responses.

Company Responses

Commerzbank View Response
Siemens View Response
Zeppelin View Response
Henkel View Response
SAP SE

No Response

Viessmann

No Response

ZEISS

No Response

Eickhoff

No Response

Duisburger Hafen AG

No Response

Daimler AG View Response
H&R Ölwerke Schindler GmbH

No Response

B.M.P. Pharma Trading AG

No Response

Albert Karsten Holz-Importe GmbH

No Response

AXXO Im- und Export GmbH

No Response

Schenker Deutschland AG

No Response

Cummins View Response
Gersis

No Response

Société Générale View Response
HanseCom

No Response

Barclays

No Response

Caterpillar

No Response

HLD Umwelt

No Response

IBA Group

No Response

Citigroup View Response
Knauf

No Response

Michelin View Response
Kontinent Spedition

No Response

SMS Group View Response
ML Lubrication

No Response

Mukran Port

No Response

Remondis

No Response

CLAAS

No Response

Amazone

No Response

B. Strautmann & Söhne View Response
Heine + Beisswenger

No Response

Hauni Maschinenbau

No Response

Glencore View Response
Trafigura Beheer View Response
Goodyear

No Response

Yokohama Tire Corporation View Response
Siemens

No Response

Philip Morris International View Response
Michelin View Response
Commerzbank View Response
Helaba Landesbank Hessen-Thüringen View Response
Novartis View Response
Jacobs Douwe Egberts View Response
Procter & Gamble

No Response

Colgate-Palmolive View Response
Schaeffler View Response

Timeline