The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for 5 Nov 2007

05.11.2007 Niasvizh: Police Detain ‘Young Front’ Activists for Celebrating Vitushka’s Birthday

On 5 November in Niasvizh the police detained the activists of the Young Front Zmitser Banko, Illia and Ivan Shylas and Krystsina Samoylava. Later, near the district police department, they also seized the Young Front member Andrei Tychyna.

05.11.2007 Tsentralny Court of Homel Upholds Zhaleznichenka’s Expulsion from University

On 5 November the judge of Tsentralny court of Homel Alena Tsalkova turned up the complaint of the expelled third-year student of the mathematical faculty of Homel State University Zmitser Zhaleznichenka.

05.11.2007 Masty: Police Take Explanations from Aliaksandr Milinkevich

On 4 November, after a street meeting with the citizens of the town of Masty, the police took the politician Aliaksandr Milinkevich to a police station and demanded from him explanations concerning the event. They wanted to know whether it wasn’t an unauthorized mass action.

05.11.2007 Vintsuk Viachorka Detained on the Way to BPF Assembly in Hrodna

On 4 November the chair of the Belarusian People’s Front Party Vintsuk Viachorka was going to Hrodna to take part in the assembly of the BPF organizations of Hrodna district. On the way there the road police groundlessly detained the car by which he was driven to Hrodna. They explained the reasons for the detention with some ‘order’.

05.11.2007 Hunger Torture for Political Prisoner Andrei Klimau

The deputy of the Belarusian Supreme Council 13 collocation Andrei Klimau who serves a prison term for a political journalistic article is being starved in Mazyr high security correctional facility #20. Food is taken from him: pasta, potato mash, sausages, nuts, tea.

05.11.2007 Authorities Proceed from Bans to Provocations

Organizers of the Social March have summed up the results of the rally that took place on 4 November. ‘The authorities have broken away from bans and have proceeded to provocations. To use force against people who offer a dialogue is immoral. Moreover, the regime depends on the European economic programs, foreign credits today, and it’s the second reason why the regime has given up such hard line methods of communication with protesters as a paddy wagon and truncheon blows on the head,’ told the deputy chairman of the Belarusian People’s Front party Viktar Ivashkevich.

05.11.2007 Police Do Not Let Regional Activists to Minsk for Social March

On the eve of the Social March, similarly to any opposition rally, policemen blocked access to Minsk for regional opposition activists. ‘Policemen in mufti tried to enter my apartment on 4 November in the morning. I didn’t open the doors to them. They were continually standing near my house till 2 p.m., when the Social March ended in Minsk. They asked neighbors about me. I even couldn’t go shopping,’ said a democratic activist from Barysau Zmitser Barodka.

05.11.2007 Participant of Halloween Celebration Transferred from Prison to Hospital

Valiantsin Sakalouski, who was sentenced to 10 days of arrest on 2 November for having taken part in celebrating Halloween in Minsk, is placed to clinical hospital #11.