The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for October 2008

08.10.2008 Anton Astapovich accuses procuracy of inaction

Anton Astapovich, chairman of the Belarusian voluntary society for protection of the monuments of history and culture addressed the procurator general with a letter in order to express his indignation at the passiveness of the procuracy in protection of historical and cultural heritage.

08.10.2008 Franak Viachorka is forcibly put in military hospital

The youth leader Franak Viachorka came to the military hospital to a consultation that had been appointed by the military enlistment committee. When he entered the doctor’s office, his belongings were taken away. Franak was dressed in military uniform and was put in the traumatological department for medical examination.

08.10.2008 State monopolist ‘Belsayuzdruk’ refuses to distribute ‘Nasha Niva’

The state-run press-distribution monopoly Belsayuzdruk once again refused to distribute the independent newspaper Nasha Niva via its trade network.

08.10.2008 Vice-chairperson of PACE is not let in Belarus

Kristiina Ojuland, vice speaker of the Estonian Parliament, vice chairperson of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE), who planned to visit Belarus on 9-10 October, was denied a visa.

07.10.2008 Police are not punished for murder

The court did not bring to account the policemen of Babruisk pre-trial detention centre who had clubbed Dzianis Klimachou to death. The formal reason is the expiry of the criminal prosecution period.

06.10.2008 Authorities extend ‘black lists’

Some activists of the democratic movement have faced with foreign travel restrictions and the surnames of some more have been introduced into the lists for being searched on the border. The persons to whom such measures are applied cannot receive an answer about the reasons.

06.10.2008 Zhana Abramava’s complaint against gender discrimination turned down

The procuracy of Leninski district of Brest turned down the complaint of the oppositional activist Zhana Abramava against inadequate conditions at the temporary isolator of Leninski district police department of Brest.

06.10.2008 Foreign students of Homel State Medical University strike to protest against racial harassment

Instead of coming to classes, foreign students gathered in the hall of the higher educational establishment and demanded that a meeting with the police was held there. They turned the attention of the administration to facts of hooligan assaults near the hostel where citizens of India lived.

06.10.2008 Police detained a suspect in the case of Minsk blast

The police have detained a citizen of Belarus who is suspected in relation to the blast that had taken place on 4 July in the morning in Minsk. Till lately, 21-year-old Alexander Koryk has worked at the Uladpradimpart enterprise.

06.10.2008 Foreign actresses are denied entry to Belarus on political grounds

American actress and singer Stephanie Pan and Australian actress Esther Mugambi, who arrived in Minsk on invitation of the Belarusian Free Theatre, were detained at Minsk-2 airport on 2 October. Belarusian border guards said to the actresses they were on the list of banned to enter Belarus.

06.10.2008 Ales Bialiatski: ‘Authorities are no longer ashamed of observers’

Belarusian human rights activists state that it is almost impossible to inform the public about the registered violations of the laws and falsifications of the elections in Belarus, and the authorities use them shamelessly.

03.10.2008 Total dactylography for Belarus?

According to the information received by Belarusian human rights activists from different parts of the country, the law machinery officers have started the procedure of general dactilography of males under the pretext of searching for an unknown man who had blasted a self-made explosive device at the official feast in the night of 3-4 July in Minsk.

03.10.2008 The parliament amends the Law on Procuracy

The House of Representatives amended the Law on Procuracy of the Republic of Belarus according to which proficiency examination and practical training are not needed for work in procuracy.

03.10.2008 State press publishes list of materials considered as extremist

On 2 October 2 a state-run newspaper Zviazda published a list of ‘extremist’ materials.

03.10.2008 Central election commission ignores manipulations of election results

The spokesman of the Central Election Commission Mikalai Lazavik said complaints of observers and former MP candidates wouldn’t influence the results of the Parliamentary elections.