21.04.2009 Supreme Court to humanize penal system

The Supreme Court of Belarus has adopted a resolution advertising the use of less punitive sentences, which might be another step towards the humanization of the Belarusian penal system. The Supreme Court has admitted that the majority of Belarusian prisoners representing little social danger, and thus recommended using less punitive programs – probation, parole, as well as a graded fines system. On the other hand, grave and repeat offenders are not likely to feel relieved.

21.04.2009 Youth activist Barazenka addresses prosecutor’s office with a claim

Activist of the European Belarus civil campaign Aliaksandr Barazenka, who was among the persons involved in the notorious ‘case of the 14’, has lodged a complaint with Pinsk Prosecutor’s Office against Siarhei Kisel, penal inspector, who had beaten him on 23 March and issued a warning for violating sentence execution regulations. On 17 April Barazenka was summonsed to Pinsk Town Prosecutor’s Office to be interrogated on the incident.

21.04.2009 Court turns down claim by Union of Poles

Hrodna Regional Court has turned down a claim by the unrecognized Belarusian Union of Poles against the verdict by Hrodna Leninski Court awarding a 520,000 fine to the participants of an unauthorized rally. The activists of the Polish minority claim that the court failed to follow the necessary judicial procedures – activist Mechyslau Iaskevich did not receive his summons in due time, while Ihar Bantsar was forced to leave the courtroom. However, the verdict was confirmed. According to the claimants’ lawyer Ihar Sazanovich, the judicial officials must have counterfeited several documents, which resulted in the decision. Judge Uladzimir Iaukhuta refused to hear evidence by a number of witnesses, including local journalists. Representatives of the Union of Poles think the verdict is illegal and say they are going to appeal the decision at the Supreme Court of Belarus.

21.04.2009 Viktar Hanchar, disappeared 10 years ago, called as witness in blast case

The vice speaker of the 13th Supreme Council must go to the Savetski district militia department of Minsk.

“On April 19, on Easter Day, we organized a picnic with children. When we returned, I found a summons in the mailbox. It said Hanchar Viktar must appear as a witness in the Savetski district militia department on April 20 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. investigator Spirydovich Hleb calls him. The summons contains a telephone number 331-04-27, one should phone it if he or she can’t go to the militia department. I think it is connected with the case of the bomb blast on July 4, 2008. It’s a mockery! This is ignorance of the situation in the country. Where do these people live, who does work in our militia?” Zinaida Hanchar, wife of the politician, told in an interview to “Belorusski Partizan”.

20.04.2009 Police seize journalists’ equipment

On 17 April Kletsk town police detained journalist Siarhei Panamarou and his crew and confiscated their video camera. The police refused to state the reasons for the arrest. Neither did they familiarize the journalists with the arrest report. The journalists were arrested on their trip to the town of Kletsk as they were making a report on the destruction of historical and architectural monuments of the region. Siarhei Panamarou thinks the arrest may be tied to his civil activity in the For Freedom movement. According to the BAJ’s press service, Mr.Panamarou has lodged a complaint against the arrest with Kletsk district prosecutor’s office. He considers the incident ‘a classical robbery’ and requests that the prosecutor ‘prosecute the policemen under the Criminal Code.’

20.04.2009 Astravets local authorities oppose anti-nuclear plant campaign

Astravets local authorities have resolved to ban a meeting of a number of civil activists, who are engaged in a public campaign against the construction of a nuclear power plant in the neighbourhood of Astravets, Hrodna region. The objective of the meeting was considering the appropriateness of the project with the participation of Belarusian scientists and a number of experts from Russia and Lithuania, as well as journalists and representatives of local authorities. According to one of the campaign leaders Ivan Kruk, several activists were threatened by local town authorities.

20.04.2009 Regime puts participant of “Process of Fourteen” on list of wanted persons

The activist of the civil campaign “European Belarus” Tatsyana Tsishkevich faces custodial penalty.

The website jeans-by.com with the reference to the leader of the youth organisation of the United Civil Party “Young Democrats” Mikhail Pashkevich has informed that Tatsyana Tsishkevich, who studies in Poland, has been put on the list of wanted persons.

“I was told about that by my investigator Kisel, who is the investigator of the criminal and correctional inspectorate of Frunzenski district of Minsk. Both me and Tatsyana Tsishkevich are registered in that district,” Mikhail Pashkevich informed.

17.04.2009 Participants of Solidarity Day rally fined

According to human rights activists Uladzimir Malei and Raman Kisliak, Brest Leninski Court has fined several participants of yesterday’s Solidarity Day rally in Brest, after they had spent the night in a pre-trial prison. During the sitting of the court, youth activists Yauhen Skrabets, Uladzimir Sheleh, Natallia Hahaliuk, Katsiaryna Ishchyk and Ilaryion Kasianchuk admitted that they were holding a banner ‘Freedom to Political Prisoners’ in downtown Brest on 16 April to attract public attention to the issue. As a result they were convicted of violating the procedures of holding mass actions (Part 1 of Article 23.34 of the Administrative Code) and fined BYR 70,000 each.

17.04.2009 Paliakova’s case dismissed

Minsk Regional Court panel of judges have dismissed the case of Yana Paliakova due to her death. The claim was lodged by Paliakova’s lawyer Mariana Siameshka. State Prosecutor Rusakovich is against the repeal of the sentence. He thinks that the case can only be dismissed due to the death of the convict. According to Ms.Siameshka, the decision does not stand for rehabilitation, but is only a repeal of the sentence due to the inability to execute the verdict. The lawyer of Yana Paliakova, a human rights activist who committed suicide on 7 March after she was found guilty of ‘false denunciation’ and sentenced to 2.5 years of prison, say they are going to appeal the decision at a higher authority.

17.04.2009 Independent journalist arrested and beaten for taking photos of fire in police department building

Uladzimir Hrydzin, photographer and member of the Belarusian Association of Journalists, was detained as he was taking pictures of a fire in the building of Pershamaiski Police Department in Minsk on 16 April. According to the journalist, shortly after he started taking pictures of the burning building he was approached by a plainclothes person and ordered to stop shooting. Then, several other plainclothes persons twisted his arms and took him to the police department where they confiscated the camera and deleted the photos. After that the photographer was released. Mr.Hrydzin says he is going to lodge a complaint against the arrest with Pershamaiski Prosecutor’s Office to prosecute the offenders.

17.04.2009 Activist to protect his honour in court

Aliaksandr Zhytkevich has odged a complaint with Haradok Town Court against the Haradotski vesnik state-owned newspaper and its journalist Ludmila Mukamol following an interview with a local policeman Aliaksandr Liashkevich, who accused Mr.Zhytkevich of fraud. Aliaksandr Zhytkevich has been recently prosecuted for negligent performance of his professional duties. However he has not been convicted and therefore is subject to the principle of the presumption of innocence. The youth doctor, who acted as an observer during the 2008 parliamentary election, says the slanderous interview is an abasement of his honour and dignity, as well as a means of pressurizing the court before any verdict has been made.

17.04.2009 BCD registration refusal suspended by Supreme Court

On 16 April one of the leaders of the Belarusian Christian Democracy party Aliaksei Shein was informed by an official of the Ministry of Justice that the decision to deny registration to the party had been suspended. The suspension must have been caused by the numerous claims of the BCD members and is likely to be reviewed after the claims are considered. According to the BCD leader Paval Seviarynets, ‘it is utter surrealism.’ ‘First they refuse a license, and then they suspend their decision. I think the final decision will be clear only after Lukashenka’s meeting with Karel Schwarzenberg. It will depend on how successful it will be,’ says the politician.

17.04.2009 Forcible draft of young leaders found legal

The court of Pershamajski district of Minsk hasn’t granted an appeal of young activist Zmitser Khvedaruk against illegal actions of army representatives during his forcible draft.

Judge Natallya Petukh put a question point-blank: can the expiry of one-month term for processing of a complaint be a reason for examination of the claim? Zmitser Khvedaruk’s defense attorneys offered a number of arguments proving that since Zmitser’s forcible draft he was either in a hospital, or underwent medical examination, Radio Svaboda informs.

17.04.2009 Activists of “European Belarus” and “Young Front” arrested in Brest

Five activists of the civil campaign “European Belarus” and six members of the “Young Front” were detained in Brest at the action on Solidarity Day.

The young people came to the central square of Brest with a banner “Freedom to Political prisoners!” and an EU flag. Some minutes later they were detained.

As activist of the civil campaign “European Belarus” Yauhen Skrabets managed to tell on phone, five activists had been guarded to a militia department.

Participants of the action of solidarity with families of the disappeared politicians were also detained in Brest.

17.04.2009 Riot militiamen beat opposition and tear EU flags on Solidarity Day in Belarus

An action of solidarity with political prisoners was brutally dispersed in Minsk on April 16. People who came to October square were brutally beaten by riot militiamen.

About a hundred opposition activists gathered on October square to demand the authorities to release prisoners of conscience.

Activists of the civil campaign “European Belarus”, “Young Front” and ”Young Belarus” took part in the rally. Leader of the “European Belarus” campaign Andrei Sannikov, coordinator of Charter’97 press center Zmitser Bandarenka, head of the Belarusian Popular Front party Lyavon Barshcheuski, leader of the “Young Front” Zmitser Dashkevich, co-head of the Belarusian Christian Democracy party Paval Sevyarynets, leader of the “Young Belarus” Artur Finkevich, activists of the “European Belarus” campaign Paval Yukhnevich, Maksim Vinyarski, Alyaksandr Atroshchankau, participants of the Process of 14 Artsyom Dubski, Maksim Dashuk, Anton Koipish and others came to the square.