The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for 4 Jun 2008

04.06.2008 Film from Bahusheuskaya tuberculosis hospital passed to State Control Committee

While Adryian Bokhan, had of the financial investigations department of the State Control Committee, was accepting citizens at Talochyn district executive committee, Mikalai Piatrushenka, correspondent of the Narodnaya Volia newspaper, passed to him a CD with a film concerning the unsatisfactory dwelling conditions at Bahusheuskaya tuberculosis hospital.

04.06.2008 Viachaslau Siwchyk detained after memorial action in Kurapaty forest

On 3 June in the evening representative of the democratic movement installed a memorial shield on one of the mass graves where the remains of 62 persons, shot by Stalin’s chastisers in the 1930-ies.

04.06.2008 Open letter of Human Rights House Foundation in support of human rights defender Leanid Svetsik

The Human Rights House Foundation is concerned about the harassment of the human rights defender Leanid Svetsik. On Friday, 23 May 2008 three KGB officers burst into Svetsik’s apartment in Vitebsk. The following search lasted for nine hours and was directed by the senior lieutenant of the KGB. During the search, the KGB confiscated Svetsik’s computer, human rights related printed material and a certificate from the Council of Europe. After the search, Svetsik was brought to the KGB office of Vitebsk region where he was interrogated for more than two hours. The interrogation was videotaped.

04.06.2008 State officials speak for increased control over internet

Aleh Praliaskouski, director of the Informational Analytical Center at the Presidential Administration, insists on ‘strengthening of responsibility for wrongful information on the Internet’. The official said it in an interview to the Belaruskaya Dumka magazine.

04.06.2008 Kurapaty: 20 years after discovery

On 3 June 1988 the Belarusians learnt the truth about Stalin’s repressions in the country through an article Kurapaty –the Road of Death in the Litaratura i Mastatstva newspaper, written by Zianon Pazniak and Yauhen Shmyhaliou. This article also provoked one of the first mass protest action in the USSR – people came to Kurapaty on Dziady (the day of the dead).

04.06.2008 Salihorsk: ‘Young Front’ activist Ivan Shyla expelled from school. Schoolmaster quits to protest

The educational department of Salihorsk executive committee has reached an illegal decision to expel a leader of the Young Front Ivan Shyla from secondary school #4 of Salihorsk.

04.06.2008 Draftees are required to tell their political affiliation

The General Staff of Armed Forces of Belarus has started illegal actions against draftees. By decree of the General Staff #243 a questionnaire is to be filled in by young people drafted into the army. One of the questionnaire’s questions is about the party affiliation of parents and political views of the recruit himself, Radio Racyja informs.