16.07.2008 Court recognizes detentions under the July 4th blast legally qualified

On July 15th and 16th Centralny court of Minsk heard the complaints against detentions of Andrei Koipish and Tatsiana Pekun. The young people were detained under suspicion of organizing an explosion in Minsk.

16.07.2008 UDF candidate Alexander Mekh receives threatening calls

On July 8th, Kobryn activists Alexander Mekh received a threatening phone call. He tells his story: “At 12.11 someone called me on the cell phone. I received the call. Immediately I heard foul language, insults and threats.

16.07.2008 Mikhail Sharamet detained and kept in KGB investigation department

Today the husband of BAJ board member Aliona Sharamet received a phone call from the KGB department. He was invited to have a “conversation” as a witness in “you know what case we are talking about, the most known case at the moment”.

16.07.2008 Police search Yuras Karetnikau’s apartment

KGB and police officers began to search Yuras Karetnikau’s apartment at about 10.40 a.m. Karetnikau is a member of the unregistered organization “Pravy Alliance”.

The police officers knocked on Karetnikau’s doors for about 30 minutes. When Yuras opened the door, they entered the apartment and showed a search warrant.

16.07.2008 Vitebsk human rights activist taken to police station from intensive care unit

Open Letter of Belarusian Human Rights Defenders

16.07.2008 Brest: K. Sumar supports equal opportunities for all candidates and exclusion of forced early voting

Kanstantsin Sumar is the head of Brest regional executive committee. At the recent meeting of the Brest regional executive committee Presidium and the Regional Council, dedicated to approval of district election commissions, he said: “We have set our main goal for this election – it is to carry it out in the most open way, strictly within the framework of the election law and the Constitution of our country, and to make them the most transparent. We will do everything possible in order to observe the law, in order to receive and satisfy all applications and proposals which will be coming from NGOs and political parties, as well as from candidates.

16.07.2008 Vitebsk human rights defender Paval Levinau arrested for 10 days

The arrest verdict was given on May 26th: court found the BHC representative guilty of disorderly conduct.

For almost two months Mr. Levinau tried to challenge the verdict. He tried to prove his innocence and the fact that the court violated the law when making the verdict – as it was read out in his absence. According to the human rights activist, Pershamaiski district policemen made numerous attempts to deliver him to the arrest and detention center: they stood on duty near his apartment and followed him around the city. Today Paval Levinau was brought to the police station from hospital. He got into hospital yesterday from the prosecutor’s office, where he had another collision with the police.

16.07.2008 Tax inspectors put BPF office on their check list

Secretaries of the BPF office received a phone call from the tax inspectorate. Despite the fact that the tax inspectorate has detailed information about the BPF party, the tax officers were asking about the staff list of the BPF office and if the staff received any salary.

16.07.2008 For Freedom Movement sues Ministry of Justice

Members of the organizing committee of the Movement “For Freedom” filed a complaint to the Supreme Court. The founders of the non-governmental organization believe that the decision of the Ministry of Justice dated June 19th is illegal. The Ministry denied registration to the Movement claiming its members had violated the legislation of Belarus. By such a denial the Ministry restricts the constitutional right of the citizens to form associations.

16.07.2008 Police look for explosives in the house of Vasil Staravoitau’s relatives

The police visited the house of Tatsiana Zhalabayeva several times. Tatsiana is the daughter of Vasil Staravoitau, former chairman of Rassvet collective farm, and Hero of Socialist Labour.

“They came 8 times this week, and were asking questions about my husband Siarhei, who had earlier been convicted for illegal possession of arms. They asked were he was on July 3rd and 4th and if he was hiding any weapons or explosives”, Tastiana said.