The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for November 2008

10.11.2008 Minsk: ‘Young Front’ activists detained for action near KGB office

Seven members of the Young Front opposition youth group were grabbed by police during a demonstration near the headquarters of the Committee for State Security (KGB) in Minsk on 7 November. The young people were standing in front of the KGB founder Felix Dzerzhinsky's bust, holding a sign that said, ‘Communism must be brought before tribunal!’

06.11.2008 Mahiliou: 18-year-old activist is expelled from last year of lyceum

18-year-old activist Stanislau Senakosau has been expelled from Mahiliou professional lyceum #2. According to him, it was revenge for his political activities, while the administration of the lyceum states that the reason is a rude violation of discipline.

06.11.2008 Ales Bialiatski: ‘Belarusian authorities harass human rights activists for their firm and unwavering position’

On 3-4 November in Strasbourg a conference ‘Situation of human rights activists in Council of Europe countries’ organized by the Commissioner on Human Rights of the Council of Europe’s office.

06.11.2008 Interrogation of ‘Young Front’ members

It looks like a new criminal case against members of Polatsk branch of ‘Young Front’ is being prepared.

06.11.2008 Participants of action against foreign travel restrictions are beaten by police

The leaders and activists of the Belarusian opposition who tried to bring address to the authorities of Belarus to the Internal Affairs Ministry and the General Prosecutor’s Office with a request to authorize their travelling outside Belarus were beaten up by policemen in mufti.

05.11.2008 Brest: procuracy does not grant Yauhen Skrabets’ complaint

Recently the democratic activist Yauhen Skrabets has complained to the procuracy of Maskouski district of Brest about unlawful confiscation of printed editions, DVD disks and a computer hard drive during a search in his parents’ apartment.

05.11.2008 Svetlahorsk: opposition activists get fined

Svetlahorsk town court fined 1.4 million rubles (about $650) Sviatlana Mikhalchanka, the leader of Salihorsk district organization of the Party of Communists Belarusian, and Viktar Akhramchuk and Siarhei Shavialenka, activists of the Belarusian Popular Front Party and the United Civil Party.

05.11.2008 Astravets: civil initiative against construction of nuclear power plant

The organizing committee of the civil initiative against construction of a new power plant has been established by seven citizens with a teacher of geography Mikalai Ulasevich at the head. The committee has issued a note of protest against the plans of the Belarusian officials to construct a new power-plant on the territory of Narach-Vileika natural reserve. They believe that as a result this place can become another ‘Chernobyl hole’ on the map of Europe.

05.11.2008 No ‘extremism’ in ‘Svaboda’?

On 5 November Hrodna oblast court considered the cassation complaint against the verdict of Iuye district court by which an August issue of the Svaboda newspaper had been declared extremist. The judge Alexander Sitsko ruled to return the case to Iuye district court for review.

05.11.2008 Babruisk: court fines Ales Chyhir twice

On 4 November Babruisk town court sentenced Ales Chyhir to pay 900 000 rubles for repairing the car which he had already damaged during an argument with a taxi driver. However, the judge turned down the driver’s lawsuit for compensation of moral damages.

05.11.2008 Pinsk: actions in support of political prisoner Alexander Barazenka

Civil actions in support of the democratic activist Alexander Barazenka are held in Pinsk. The local activists hand out leaflets with information about him.

05.11.2008 Father of killed soldier applies to UN

Dweller of Krychau town Alexander Shamryn sent a complaint to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights to defend interest of his family in a dispute with the state.

05.11.2008 American lawyer Emanuel Zeltser is kept in Belarusian jail without medicines and warm clothes

Today the US citizen Emanuel Zeltser and his secretary Vladlena Funk, a Russian citizen, were transferred from the KGB remand prison into the remand prison #1 of the Main Directorate of Internal Affairs of Minsk City Executive Committee in Valadarski Street in Minsk.

05.11.2008 Procuracy demands explanations from entrepreneurs

On 4 November the leader of the association For Free Development of Business Viktar Harbachou was summoned to the procuracy of Barysau and Barysau region.

04.11.2008 Homel: court justifies bans of opposition’s pickets

On 3 November the deputy head of Tsentralny district court of Homel Siarhei Shytsikau upheld the refuse of Homel city executive committee to authorize pickets which the opposition intended to hold within the frame of the electoral campaign. The applications for authorization of pickets were file by the democratic activists Andrei Tolchyn, Piatro Kuzniatsou, Natallia Shchukina and Alexander Protska.