The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for May 2008

15.05.2008 Journalists of Hantsavitski Chas are denied accreditation again

The journalists of the non-state newspaper Hantsavitski Chas were again denied accreditation at Hatsavichy district soviet of deputies. The first denial was issued by the presidium of the soviet of deputies and the second one – by Brest oblast soviet of deputies. Its chairman Ashmiantsau insists that ‘state organ is not obliged to give accreditation to journalists’ and refers to some ‘discrediting of the state organs’ and ‘misinformation of the population in mass media’ as the reasons for which a state organ can refuse to accredit media correspondents.

15.05.2008 Foreign travel restrictions to Artur Finkevich

In the morning of 13 May, when the Young Front deputy head Artur Finkevich was driving in a car with his colleagues to the Belarusian-Lithuanian border (Kamenny Loh), the Belarusian customs officers tried not to allow him to cross the border. They explained his name was in the list of temporally restricted to leave Belarus. One of the border crossing officers took a personal decision to permit Finkevich to cross the border.

15.05.2008 Milinkevich is prohibited to drink water near Orthodox chapel

14 May the leader of the For Freedom movement Alexander Milinkevich visited Smaliavichy and Lahoisk and met with the local citizens. During his visit to Lahoisk the politician got a notice for an attempt to drink water from a well near an orthodox chapel.

14.05.2008 Homel: tax inspection harasses Kastus Zhukouski

Today Tsentralny district court of Homel has started the trial on the suit of the district tax inspection for forced exaction of 2 115 000 rubles (about 993 US dollars) of taxes from the local activist of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party Kastus Zhukouski.

14.05.2008 Detentions of youth activists in Polatsk

14 May, at 7.30 p.m., an action in support of political prisoners took place in Polatsk. Members of the Young Front and the Belarusian Christian Democracy held a banner Freedom to Political Prisoners. The action lasted for several minutes only. Then its participants were detained and guarded to a police department. Among them there is Mikalai Dzemidzenka Siarhei Hlinski, Siarhei Karalionak, Ales Krutkin, Zmitser Sakalou and Mikhas (surname not known yet).

14.05.2008 Vitsebsk: Siarhei Kavalenka fined

The judge of Chyhunachny district court of Vitsebsk Uladzislau Shykarou ruled to fine the activist of the Conservative-Christian Party Belarusian People’s Front Siarhei Kavalenka under part 3 of Article 23.34 of the Administrative Code (violation of the rules for organizing and holding mass actions) for participation in a peaceful mass action on 26 April, dedicated to an anniversary of Chernobyl accident.

14.05.2008 Police draw report against Viktar Sazonau

14 May in Hrodna the police majors Piatro Lenets and Ivan Vechar paid a visit to the human rights activist Viktar Sazonau. They drew on him a violation report under article 23.34 of the Administrative Code (violation of the rules for organizing or holding mass action) for participation in the concert of the Polish band Lombard in Hrodna.

14.05.2008 Disabled pensioner ‘congratulated’ on Victory Day

On the eve of 9 May, the Victory Day, the resident of Homel Andrei Hramyka received a peculiar ‘congratulation’. He is disabled since childhood as a result of a wound connected with the consequences of World War II. The court fined him 140 000 rubles (about 68 US dollars) in absentia for alleged insult of the neighbors who were smoking on the stair platform.

14.05.2008 Minsk: court turns down complaint of beaten driver

13 May the judge of Minsk city court Siarhei Khrypach turned down the cassation complaint of the citizen of Russian Sergey Ostrovsky against a verdict of Tsentralny district court of Minsk.

14.05.2008 Artists are squeezed out of their studios

The authorities have started an economical assault on artists by increasing the rent 10 times.

14.05.2008 Mahiliou: court mocks at democratic activists

Leninski district court of Mahiliou has turned down a complaint that had been filed by Alexander Irkho and Alexander Silkou, activists of the unregistered Freedom and Progress Party (FPP).

14.05.2008 Hrodna: another administrative case for concert

An administrative report under article 23.34 (active participation in unauthorized action) has been composed today against the chairman of Hrodna oblast branch of the United Civil Party (UCP) Yury Istomin. The police qualified as an unauthorized action the concert of a well-known Polish band Lombard in Hrodna.

14.05.2008 Miron hangs out another flag

The legendary Miron has carried out another action in Vitsebsk. He hanged out a white-red-white flag on the roof of a 16-storeyed house, one of the highest buildings in the city.

14.05.2008 Police get interested in Marachkin’s art

13 May the artist Aliaksei Marachkin was summonsed to Tsentralny district police department of Minsk.

14.05.2008 White-red-white flags over Minsk

White-red-white national flags appeared in Minsk and other Belarusians towns on the 13th anniversary of referendum 1995, when the national symbols were forbidden.