The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for 23 Aug 2007

23.08.2007 Brest: Three 'Hramada' Activists Detained after Trial of Pavel Seviarynets

On 22 August Leninski district court of Brest heard a case against the political leader Pavel Seviarynets. Mr. Seviarynets was charged with repeated violation of the rules of holding mass actions within 1-year term (part 3 of article 23.34 of the Administrative Code) and sentenced to 15 days of jail.

23.08.2007 Tatsiana Seviarynets Refused of Rehabilitation at Work

At court she tried to prove that she had a signed absence leave for 26-31 March, when she was absent from work. Tatsiana’s proxy Kastus Seviarynets drew that attention of the College Board to the fact that the administration of the district education department had used the inaccuracies existing in some acts of labor legislation in order to fire an opposition-minded teacher. Tatsiana Seviarynets also considers her firing politically motivated, because the chair of the district education department many times reproached her for oppositional views.

23.08.2007 Trial of ‘Young Front’ Activist Ivan Shyla Appointed on 4 September

At 10 a.m. on 4 September Salihorsk town court will consider a criminal case against the activist of an unregistered organization Young Front Ivan Shyla. 16-year-old Shyla is charged with activity on behalf of unregistered organization (article 193.1 of the Criminal Code).

23.08.2007 Punitive Psychiatry Remains Unpunished

The college board of Mahiliou regional court with a deputy chair of the court Ihar Troshka at the head turned down an appeal of a public activist Krystsina Shatsikava against the verdict of Leninski district court of Mahiliou that had refused to abolish a ruling of the local prosecutor’s office against bringing a criminal case on the use of punitive psychiatry. The College Board did not give any explanations concerning its verdict.

23.08.2007 Detained Members and Spectators of Svabodny Teatr set Free. Police Compose Report on Pavel Yukhnevich

Directors, actors and spectators of Svabodny Teatr (Free Theatre) headed by Mikalai Khalezin were set free today from the Savetski district police department in Minsk. At the department the detainees were made to write explanatory notes but the police composed no detention or violation reports. The only report was composed against a youth activist Pavel Yukhnevich, who was kept at the police department longer than other detainees. ‘I think that it is connected to his being a political activist. The police just used this occasion to compose a report on him’, commented Khalezin.

23.08.2007 Belarus Responds to US with Symmetrical Visa Sanctions

Belarus imposes visa sanctions against American officials in return to the decision of the US Department of State on extending the list of the Belarusian citizens prohibited to enter the USA. ‘In response to the unfriendly actions of the USA Belarus will impose corresponding visa restrictions for special categories of the American officials’, the deputy head of the information department of the foreign ministry of Belarus Maryia Vanshyna declared to Interfax.