The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for September 2007

13.09.2007 Oppositional activist, Deputy of Supreme Soviet of the 13th Convocation Andrei Klimau Sentenced to 2 years of High Security Prison for Web Publication

The prosecutor’s office and Tsentralny district court of Mink confirmed to the journalist Andrei Hruzdzilovich the information about the trial over Klimau. The trial started on 30 July 2007 and ended two days later, on 1 August. The verdict was issued by the judge Alena Iliina. Klimau’s wife, Tatsiana Leanovich-Klimava, was to take part in the trial as the public defender.

13.09.2007 Workers of Mahiliou Repairs Plant Sue the Authorities

The shareholders of Mahiliou repairs lodged a claim on the actions of the enterprise authorities and the regional officials to the commercial court.

12.09.2007 Minsk: Police Detain Participants of Flash-mob in Honor of Dziarzhynski’s Birthday

On 12 September near a monument to Felix Dziarzhynski in the center of Minsk the riot police detained the youth activists of the Belarusian People’s Front Party Aliaksandr Klimovich, Nasta Ptushka, Katsiaryna Ramasheuskaya, Stsiapan Svidzerski, Makar Vauchok and Franak Viachorka and took them to Leninski district police department of Minsk.

12.09.2007 Orsha: Pushkin and Yanusheuski Receive 7 Days of Jail for ‘Petty Hooliganism’

The administrative trial over the artist Ales Pushkin and the public activist Aliaksey Yanusheuski is over. According to a human rights activist Vasil Leuchankou, the police took the detainees to the court through the duty entrance, without informing the public about the beginning of the trial. Human rights activists composed an appeal against the ‘closed’ nature of the trial and passed it to the chancellery of Orhsa court. They managed to get to the trial only after a break.

12.09.2007 US to Strengthen Sanctions on Lukashenka’s Officials

The USA is to strengthen sanctions on Lukashenka’s Belarus until its authorities start abiding by democratic norms. According to the ITAR-TASS that was declared by official representative of the US Department of State Sean McCormack.

11.09.2007 Homel: Customs Officers again Compose Violation Report for Demand of Customs Blank in Belarusian

On 9 September the workers of Homel customs office again composed a report for administrative violation against a local activist Siarhei Siamionau who demanded from them a blank of the customs declaration in the Belarusian language. According to Siamionau, he was crossing the Ukrainian border by train and the customs officers told him to fill a declaration at the crossing point Novaya Huta.

11.09.2007 Supreme Court Rejects Suit of Initiators of Contract System Abolishment

The Supreme Court did not satisfy the suit of the initiative group of citizens who intended to collect signatures for abolishment of the contract system. The citizens asked the court to abolish the ruling of the Central Election Commission who refused to register them. The court confessed the groundlessness of the CEC refusal, but stated that the proposal to amend the labor legislation contradicted to the Belarusian legislation. As a result the CEC refusal to register the initiative group was left in force.

11.09.2007 Public Activists of Homel Open Public Reception

The public reception has been established by the activists of the republican public association Civil Forum. The presentation of the project entitled Let’s Defend Ourselves Together was held on 9 September.

11.09.2007 Vitsebsk District Prosecutor’s Office Refuses to Bring Criminal Case for Forgery of Kazulin’s Signatures

Several days ago a former political prisoner Siarhei Skrabets received an answer from the senior assistant of the prosecutor Yauhen Babiankou concerning his request to bring a criminal case on the fact of forgery of Aliaksandr Kazulin’s signatures.

11.09.2007 Pupils Summonsed to KGB for Visiting Free Theater

On 22 August a theatric play was staged by the Free Theater. The police detained the people who came to see it. Three under-aged spectators have been already summonsed to KGB. All of them were told that they would not be able to enter any high school and would be expelled from their secondary schools in case they visited the theater once again.

11.09.2007 Orsha: Artist Ales Pushkin Declares Hunger Strike in Remand Prison

On 10 September the trial over Ales Pushkin and an activist of the Young Front Aliaksei Yanusheuski started, but was delayed when they demanded advocatory services. The defendants were taken to a remand prison. Ales Pushkin has declared a hunger-strike of protest.

11.09.2007 Yaraslau Hryshchenia Fined about 432 US Dollars

On 11 September in Baranavichy the verdict to the activist of the Young Front Yaraslau Hryshchenia was read. The activist was charged under article 193.1 of the Criminal Code (activities on behalf of unregistered organization). The prosecutor asked to punish Yaraslau with 1 year of conditional imprisonment. However, the judge Vasil Petrykau ruled to fine the activist 930 000 Belarusian rubles (about 432 US dollars) and return to him the confiscated computer.

11.09.2007 Baranavichy: Pavel Seviarynets Fined and Imprisoned for 17 Days

In the evening of 10 September in Baranavichy the verdict to the member of the organizing committee for the establishment of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party Pavel Seviarynets was read. He was charged under three articles of the Administrative Code: petty hooliganism (using a whistle), insubordination to the legal police demands, organization of and participation in an unauthorized meeting at the entrance of the court where an activist of the Young Front Yaraslau Hryshchenia was judged. According to the new legislation he was sentenced to 17 days of jail (earlier the largest term was 15 days) and fined 620 000 Belarusian rubles (about 288 US dollars).

11.09.2007 Spontaneous Strike of Miners in Salihorsk

In the night of 8-9 September a strike of the Belaruskaly miners was organized under the Italian procedure: the miners descended underground but didn’t start working. Around 80% miners being underground went on strike, the Belarusian Helsinki committee representative in Salihorsk Leanid Markhotka reported.

10.09.2007 Belarusian Authorities Hide Sentence to Klimau

In the evening of 7 September it became known that more than a month ago the political activist Andrei Klimau had been sentenced to 2 years of jail for alleged distribution of calls to coup d’etat through internet.