The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for 5 Feb 2008

05.02.2008 Pressurization of Young Front Activist Alena Makarevich Continues

A week ago the activist of Minsk Young Front branch Alena Makarevich was summonsed to KGB. There she was proposed to stop her public and political activities and threatened with a criminal case otherwise.

05.02.2008 Ales Bialiatski: ‘One can speak of normalization of relations between the authorities and their political opponents only after the release of all political prisoners!’

On 5 February the college board of Mahiliou oblast court considered the cassation complaint on a criminal case against Artur Finkevich and reversed the verdict of Kastrychnitski district court of Mahiliou, according to which Finkevich was to have serve 1,5 years of jail for ‘evasion from serving his corrective labor term’.

05.02.2008 Young Front Activist Detained in Salihorsk

On 4 February in Salihorsk the police detained an activist of the underground organization Young Front Hleb Snorkin, who was returning home from a sitting of the local branch of the Young Front. The police searched the activists and found leaflets and hearts which he had prepared for the St. Valentine’s Day.

05.02.2008 Authorities Evict Citizens from the Center of Minsk

The tensest situation exists in Marx Street now. Authorities plant to start eviction of inhabitants from four houses this year. A casino, a hotel and a trading center are to appear instead of the houses. All inhabitants as one man are against of that.

05.02.2008 Political Prisoner Artur Finkevich Released from Custody

Hearing of the cassation appeal on the criminal case against Artur Finkevich, political prisoner and one of the Young Front leaders, has taken place today in the has reversed the judgement of the court of Kastrychnitski district of Mahiliou on 1.5-year imprisonment.

05.02.2008 Belarusian PEN-center Demands Reconsideration of Zdvizhkou’s Case and His Release

The deputy-editor of the Belarusian non-state newspaper Zgoda Aliaksandr Zdvizhkou has been sentenced to three years of high security prison for having reprinted Danish cartoons of the prophet Muhammad, which was qualified as violation of article 130, part 2 of the Criminal Code, ‘fomentation of religious enmity’.

05.02.2008 Minsk City Court Justifies Arrest of Anatol Liabedzka

The judge of Minsk city court Tatsiana Yermalovich thinks that there are no reasons to abolish the ruling of the judge Volha Husakova towards Anatol Liabedka.

05.02.2008 Court Turns down Complaint against Bans of Peaceful Assemblies

On 1 February the court of Baranavichy and Baranavichy district considered the suit of the lawyer Karney Piatrovich against the ban of a picket by Baranavichy city executive committee. Despite convincing arguments proving that the ban was illegal the court, predictably enough, took the side of the authorities.

05.02.2008 Salihorsk: Young Front Activists Fined again

Recently Salihorsk court has abolished a number of decisions of the local administrative commissions, according to which activists of the underground youth organization Young Front were fined huge sums of money for participation in peaceful protest actions. Their cases were returned to the administrative commission for reconsideration.

05.02.2008 Entrepreneurs on Strike

In Belarus a part of individual entrepreneurs continue a strike against presidential decree #760, by which they have been prohibited to hire staff with the exception of three close relatives.

05.02.2008 Babruisk Has No Premises for Meeting with Milinkevich

Babruisk activists of For Freedom movement have received answers from Babruisk executive committee to their request to lend a hall for meeting with the leader of the movement Aliaksandr Milinkevich. The event was appointed on 9 February.

05.02.2008 Foreign Travel Restrictions to Dashkevich, Shyla and Liabedzka

On Saturday, 2 February the Belarusian border guards did not let abroad the leader of the Young Front Zmitser Daskhevich and a Salihorsk member of this organization Ivan Shyla.

05.02.2008 Hrodna: Authorities Try to Disrupt Live Performance of Belarusian Bard Shalkevich

In Hrodna the campaign Independence-2008 was started with the live performance of a Minsk band Rekha and bard Shalkevich. The event was timed to 170th birthday of the national leader Kastus Kalinouski.