30.04.2009 Baranavichy court leaves rally conduction regulations unchanged

Today Baranavichy Town and District Court has considered the claim by the human rights activist Siarhei Housha, lawyer Karnei Piatrovich and For Freedom member Viktar Syrytsa against the decision of 17 January 2006 by the town authorities regulating the procedures of holding mass actions. Judge Mikalai Silmanovich resolved to turn down the claim. According to Siarhei Housha, the decision virtually outlaws any mass actions in the town. It violates both the Law on Mass Actions and the Belarusian Constitution, as well as the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ratified by Belarus. The activists say they are going to appeal the verdict at a superior judicial body.

30.04.2009 Head of World Association of Belarusian Jews Gutman calls on Lukashenka to stop demolition of synagogue in Luban

Yakov Gutman, head of the US-based World Association of Belarusian Jews, calls on President Lukashenka to stop the demolition of an early 20 century synagogue in the town of Luban, Minsk region. Yakov Gutman stresses that the synagogue bears a memorial tablet to one of the most famous rabbis of the 20th century Moshe Feistein, whose is name is sacred to the Jews across the world. He says that the projected demolition of the synagogue will be viewed as a continuous campaign of destructing Jewish churches in Minsk, Jewish cemeteries in Hrodna and Mazyr, and other memorials. ‘We should like to believe that the incident in Luban is the result of misunderstanding by the local authorities and has nothing to do with the state policy. Chair of Luban District Executive Committee Vasil Akulich found it unnecessary to reply to the letter,’ said Mr.Gutman.

30.04.2009 Assembly of Pro-Dem NGOs to sue Ministry of Justice

Members of the working group for the creation of the Assembly of Pro-Democratic NGOs Siarhei Matskevich, Aleh Hulak and Ales Bialiatski have filed a lawsuit against the Belarusian Ministry of Justice. The claimants demand to reverse the decision by the Ministry to deny registration to the Assembly in early April 2009, due to a number of flaws in the NGO’s charter, including its name, which does not meet the regulations of the law. ‘We do not agree with the decision and consider it a politically motivated move,’ said head of the working group Siarhei Matskevich. ‘In case the Supreme Court supports the decision by the Ministry of Justice, it will mean a total ban to found associations of NGOs,’ said lawyer Yury Chavusau, who drew up the application. The Assembly of Pro-Democratic NGOs was founded by 7 public associations, including the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, the Supolnasts Center, the Belarusian Popular Front Adradzhennie, Human Rights Center etc.

30.04.2009 Assembly of Pro-Dem NGOs to sue Ministry of Justice

Members of the working group for the creation of the Assembly of Pro-Democratic NGOs Siarhei Matskevich, Aleh Hulak and Ales Bialiatski have filed a lawsuit against the Belarusian Ministry of Justice. The claimants demand to reverse the decision by the Ministry to deny registration to the Assembly in early April 2009, due to a number of flaws in the NGO’s charter, including its name, which does not meet the regulations of the law. ‘We do not agree with the decision and consider it a politically motivated move,’ said head of the working group Siarhei Matskevich. ‘In case the Supreme Court supports the decision by the Ministry of Justice, it will mean a total ban to found associations of NGOs,’ said lawyer Yury Chavusau, who drew up the application. The Assembly of Pro-Democratic NGOs was founded by 7 public associations, including the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, the Supolnasts Center, the Belarusian Popular Front Adradzhennie, Human Rights Center etc.

30.04.2009 KGB blames journalists of discrediting Belarus with articles about crisis

KGB officers detained a journalist and warned he must write something positive about the authorities.

Otherwise Ivan roman was threatened with a criminal case for “discrediting the Republic of Belarus”.

Officers of the KGB department for the Hrodna region detained journalist Ivan Roman, member of the Belarusian Association of Journalists, in Hrodna yesterday. He is a correspondent of Radio Racyja and an author of Magazyn Polski, published by the Union of Poles of Belarus, unrecognized by the Belarusian authorities. The journalist was given a written warning about responsibility for discrediting Belarus.

30.04.2009 Human Rights activists oppose trip of former Internal Minister head Navumau to Switzerland

Well-known human rights activists from Sweden and Belarus have addressed leadership of the Swedish Ice Hockey Federation with an appeal not to allow former Internal Minister Uladzimir Navumau to Switzerland.

As informed by Radio Svaboda, the appeal has been made by the president of the initiative “Ostgruppen for demokrati och manskliga rattigheter” Martin Uggla and the head of the human rights centre “Viasna” Ales Byalatski.

30.04.2009 Belarusian authorities banned holding Europe’s Day

Minsk city executive committee denied a permission to hold pickets for collection of signatures in favour of Belarus’ joining the European Union. The officials explained their denial by a non-existent legal norm.

On April 14, 2009 activists of the civil campaign “European Belarus” Dzmitser Barodka and Maxim Syarheeu filed applications for holding a picket in Minsk park of People’s Friendship. In an answer signed by the deputy chairman of Minsk city executive committee M. Tsistyankou is was said that Minsk city executive committee hasn’t sanctioned holding a picket, as it is out of keeping with parts 5 and 6 of the Article 5 of the Law “On mass events in Belarus”.