The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for 4 May 2009

04.05.2009 New offence on negligent parents

The Ministry of Internal Affairs proposes to introduce amendments to presidential decree #18 with the aim to increase the responsibility of parents who evade from paying alimonies.

04.05.2009 Journalist’s complaint brings no result

As it follows from the letter, received by the journalist Ivan Roman, the head of Leninski district branch of the custodial service of Hrodna, police major Zaikou thinks that his subordinates were right when they did not let the journalist to the open court hearings.

04.05.2009 Border guards listen to human rights defender Valiantsin Stefanovich’s CDs

On 4 May in the morning the human rights defender Valiantsin Stefanovich was returning home from Lithuania. The border guards examined his car and personal belongings.

04.05.2009 Belarusian Language Society demands that a Belarusian TV channel be established by autumn

In the beginning of April the head of the Belarusian Language Society Aleh Trusau addressed the head of the presidential administration Uladzimir Makei with the request to establish a Belarusian-language TV channel. According to Mr. Trusau, absence of such a channel deprives the citizens of holistic informational space in their native language. Калі да восені не вырашыцца пытанне пра стварэнне беларускамоўнага дзяржаўнага тэлеканала, Таварыства беларускай мовы імя Францішка Скарыны ў верасні пачне збор подпісаў грамадзян пад адпаведным зваротам да ўлады.

04.05.2009 Belarusian authorities banned recuperation trips of children to Switzerland

400 Belarusian children from regions contaminated with radiation won’t be able to go for recuperation any more.

04.05.2009 Maladechna: action of solidarity with political prisoners

An action of solidarity with the political prisoners Mikalai Autukhovich, Yury Liavonau and Uladzimir Asipenka was held in Maladzechna.

04.05.2009 Action of solidarity: day three

On 3 May activists of the civil campaign European Belarus, Young Front and Young Belarus traditionally gathered in Kastrychnitskaya Square at 6 p.m.

04.05.2009 13 people declare hunger-strike of solidarity with political prisoners

On 4 May the former political prisoners Artsiom Dubski Andrei Kim, Alexander Kazulin, Mikhail Marynich, Siarhei Parsiukevich, Siarhei Skrabets and Mikalai Statkevich, the politicians Liavon Barsheuski andViachaslau Siwchyk, the entrepreneur Ales Makayeu and the youth activists Mikalai Dzemidzenka, Nasta Palazhanka and Andrei Tsianiuta declared a hunger-strike.

04.05.2009 Action of solidarity: day two

At 6 p.m. on 2 May about 40 activists of Young Front, Young Belarus, European Belarus and BPF Youth lined up in Kastrychnitskaya Square in Minsk with portraits of Mikalai Autukhovich in their hands and demanded that Autukhovich and other political prisoners were released from prison.

04.05.2009 Brest: opposition activists are driven away from Lenin Square

On 1 May in Brest the police did not let activists of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada) and the Party Communists Belarusian to stand in the crowd of idlers in Lenin Square, where passers-by stopped to watch the opening of the honors board of the best enterprises of the region by the city authorities.

04.05.2009 On 1 May Minsk police disbanded action of solidarity with political prisoners

In Minsk riot policemen were beating up participants of the peaceful rally of solidarity with political prisoner Mikalai Autukhovich who had declared indefinite hunger strike. The rally took place on 1 May near the remand prison in Valadarski Street in Minsk.