The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for 8 May 2008

08.05.2008 Student Aleh Hrubich not let abroad

Aleh Hrubich, first-year student of the faculty of Belarusian history and cultural anthropology of the European Humanities University came from Vilnius to Minsk on holidays, but didn’t manage to return back. The border guards took him off the train without explaining anything and made him wait for five hours. Then he was taken to Minsk for ‘further discrimination’.

08.05.2008 Hrodna oppositionists harassed for white-red-white flag

Viktar Sazonau, deputy chairman of the Belarusian Social Democratic Hramada, and Yury Istomin, chairman of Hrodna oblast branch of the United Civil Party, are persecuted by Hrodna police. 7 May the police major Piatro Lenets phoned to them and proposed to come to Leninski district police department of Hrodna for giving some explanations.

08.05.2008 Andrei Tsianiuta to pay for hunger strike?

The pre-trial prison of Homel has sued against Andrei Tsianiuta, leader of Homel branch of the Young Front to exact from him the money for 10-day arrest on the eve of the Freedom Day, 25 March.

08.05.2008 Young Democrats collect signatures for installment of memorial shield to Zakharanka

Yury Zakharanka, former minister of internal affairs, was kidnapped 7 May 1999. The Young Democrats marked this mournful date by collecting signatures for installment of a memorial shield to Yury Zakharanka on the wall of the house in Zhukouski Street, 9, where he used to live.

08.05.2008 Action of United Civil Party in place of Zakharanka’s kidnap

8 May in Mahiliouskaya Street in Minsk, in the place where the ex-minister of internal affairs Yury Zakharanka had been kidnapped nine years ago, activists of the United Civil Party including its chairman Anatol Liabedzka have carried out an action in his memory.

08.05.2008 Prosecutor’s office upholds KGB actions against independent journalists

Homel oblast KGB office found no law violations in the actions of the persons who had conducted a search in the apartment of the journalist Anatol Hatouchyts, member of the Belarusian Association of Journalists, and took away his instruments of labor. The return of the confiscated items depends on the ‘organ by which the criminal investigation is lead’.

08.05.2008 KGB continues ‘prophylactic talks’ with students

Katsiaryna Yurchankova, third-year student of the library college in Mahiliou, was visited by a KGB officer during her studies. He introduced himself as Aliaksandr Miadzvedzeu, counter-intelligence officer. He had a tête-à-tête talk with Katsiaryna at the office of the college administration. The girl was invited there by one of the college teachers.

08.05.2008 Reporters Without Borders stands for Hazeta Slonimskaya

Reporters Without Borders condemns an eviction order and other efforts by local authorities to harass the weekly Hazeta Slonimskaya, the only independent newspaper in the western region of Hrodna. Its editor, Uladzimir Valadashchuk, appealed to readers for support on 30 April.

08.05.2008 Coordinator of Charter’97 Zmitser Bandarenka proposes to boycott the elections

‘The regime has given up on dialogue and democratization by unleashing a real terror against political opposition and the civil society. That is why the democratic forces are to start realization of a different strategy,’ believes the coordinator of the Charter’97 Zmitser Bandarenka.

08.05.2008 Harassment of Hazeta Slonimskaya going on

The head of the psychoneurologic department of Slonim central district hospital received a letter signed by the head of the local branch of the KGB Aliaksandr Mazalkou with an order to check the editor-in-chief of an independent newspaper Hazeta Slonimskaya Viktar Valadashchuk and his relatives, whether they are listed in databases of psychoneurologic and narcological dispensaries.

08.05.2008 European Belarus’ action in support of political prisoners

3 May activists of the civil campaign European Belarus hung out national flags and banners in the Zakhad suburb of Minsk, calling to release political prisoners Aliaksandr Kazulin, Andrei Kim and Siarhei Parsiukevich.