26.05.2009 Nasha Viasna still awaiting reply from Ministry of Justice

May 25th was the deadline for the Ministry of Justice to reply to the application of the Nasha Viasna human rights organization. However, Nasha Viasna’s registration is still undecided. This is Nasha Viasna’s third attempt to obtain the official status. The human rights have repeatedly stressed this would be their last application, even in case it is not satisfied.

26.05.2009 Artur Finkevich: “Secret services try to intimidate young people, but they are to fail”

The leader of the “Young Belarus” Artur Finkevich lodged a legal application to the prosecutor’s office of Zavadski district of Minsk with a request to find and bring to account persons who called him on the phone threatening bodily harm.

Artur Finkevich has also commented to the Charter’97 press-centre the threats received by him from an unknown person last Friday. As we have informed, Finkevich received a call on his mobile phone with demands to stop his political activities.

25.05.2009 Uladzimir Labkovich: ‘As it turns out, since I use Belarusian, it is my personal problem how to take part in a trial’

The famous Belarusian human rights activist and lawyer Uladzimir Labkovich has lodged a complaint with the Ministry of Justice against a judge of Hrodna Regional Court who refused to carry on a court hearing on 21 May in Belarusian. She also refused to provide an interpreter, saying it is the court who decides which language to use. The human rights expert hopes that under the circumstances the verdict of Hrodna Regional Court would be reversed and reconsidered. ‘It is a flagrant and sad fact, for if I were, say, a Vietnamese, they would have surely provided interpreting. As it turns out, since I use Belarusian, it is my personal problem how to take part in a trial,’ says Mr.Labkovich.

25.05.2009 Participants of anti-nuclear rally stand trial in Lida

Today, on 25 May Lida Town Court fined a Young Front activist Hanna Bunko BYR 70,000 for participating in the 25 April anti-nuclear action, issuing a warning to another participant of the rally and a European Belarus member Yauhen Rudy. Another activist Yauhen Skrabets had been sentenced to 1 day of imprisonment a few days earlier. According to Ms.Bunko, two policemen testified against the teenagers. ‘He said I was too young so they will just warn me this time,’ said Yahen Rudy. The activists were arrested on 25 April in the town of Lida, as they were holding a banner ‘No to the New Chernobyl!’ and distributing leaflets with information on the danger of the construction of the new nuclear power plant in Belarus.

25.05.2009 Policemen confess they beaten up participants of peaceful opposition rally

On May 21 a court trial over young activists detained during the peaceful rally dedicated to the anniversary of Chernobyl nuclear power station accident started in Vitsebsk.

Judge Valyantsina Kismeroshkina started the trial according to police records drawn up on April 26 against an activist of “European Belarus” campaign Kanstantsin Ivanou and an activist of “For Freedom” movement Alyaksei Pilevich. The young people are charged with alleged insubordination to police. Ivanou and Pilevich face a fine from 20 to 50 basic units (from 700 to 1 mln 750,000 Br), europeanbelarus.org informs.

22.05.2009 Human rights activists issue statement on cases of Autukhovich, Liavonau and Asipenka

Statement on the cases of M.Autukhovich, Y.Liavonau and U.Asipenka 22 May 2009 Human rights activists are concerned about the violation of the rights of Mikalai Autukhovich, Yury Liavonau and Uladzimer Asipenka, who are kept under arrest for their alleged involvement in the arson facts in Vaukavysk in 2004. Human rights activists stress that the periods of the preliminary investigation are dragged out. The businessmen have been in a pre-trial detention center since February 2009. Since then the investigation has been repeatedly prolonged. Meanwhile, the investigators fail to carry out any investigative actions. Thus, the legality of their imprisonment seems absolutely groundless.

22.05.2009 Zhanna Litvina says authorities keep refusing to do anything to do with mass media

During the 7th congress of the Belarusian Association of Journalists, taking place in Minsk, its head Zhanna Litvina said the society, being deprived of information, is doomed to economic, political and social crisis. According to Mrs.Litvina, free access to information keeps being the main problem of contemporary Belarusian journalism. ‘The authorities keep refusing to do anything to do with journalists, which is favoured by the Belarusian law on state service, obliging officials to coordinate any information to be provided to journalists with their superior officers.

22.05.2009 Autukhovich deprived of drinking water

Today several human activists again tried to bring a parcel with drinking water to Mikalai Autukhovich, who is kept under arrest at Minsk pre-trial detention center #1. The administration of the prison refused to accept it. Mr.Autukhovich who has a bad liver problem and has been on a hunger-strike for over a month, is not allowed to use pure drinking water. ‘They said they do not accept any parcels with drinking water,’ said human rights activist Valiantsin Stefanovich.

22.05.2009 Navapolatsk human rights activist insists on initiating criminal case for fomenting national hatred

Zmitser Salauyou, human rights activist from the town of Navapolatsk, has lodged another complaint with Navapolatsk town prosecutor’s office, requesting to initiate a criminal prosecution for fomenting national hatred and disorderly conduct of an unknown group of neo-Nazis. The activist says the offenders have repeatedly smeared houses with pro-Fascist slogans and insignia. It his third attempt to draw attention to the facts, where Mr.Slauyou provides a number of recent facts indicating to the group’s activities. ‘Neo-Nazi groups keep attacking informal youth. On 9 May they attacked A.Kucharenka, and threatened him with violence,’ says Mr.Slauyou.

22.05.2009 Minors interrogated by police over Minsk blast

According to www.mfront.net, another under-aged Young Front activist has been called in for interrogation over the explosion in downtown Minsk on 4 July 2008. ‘I think the police are trying to fingerprint me in this way, just like they did with other representatives of the pro-democratic movement. The police together with the secret services are using the 4 July explosion as an opportunity to maintain illegal activities against the opposition’, says activist Stas Stesik. It is a second writ received by the teenager over the past week.

22.05.2009 Court turns down claim by BPF Hrodna office

Hrodna Regional Court has considered the complaint against the decision by the Ministry of Justice to deny registration to the Belarusian Popular Front’s Hrodna Regional Office. The interests of the party were represented by the BPF’s central office senior secretary Uladzimer Labkovich and member of the party’s Soim Yury Chavusau. The trial was bore a strong resemblance to the one held a few hours before, when similar complaint by the BPF ‘Adradzhennie’ was considered.

22.05.2009 Association of Political Prisoners founded in Belarus

A number of well-known Belarusian social and public leaders withstand political repressions of the authorities.

It has been stated by the ex-candidate for presidency in Belarus, a former political prisoner Alyaksandr Kazulin, the web-source kozylin.com informs.

Kazulin announced foundation of the new association during a reception dedicated to the 55th anniversary of Radio Svaboda and presentation of the book “One day of political prisoner”, created by journalists of this radio station. Many well-known people of Belarus voted for creation of the association. In different time after Lukashenka’s coming to power, were imprisoned, and many like Alyaksandr Kazulin were recognized prisoners of conscience by international human rights organisations.

21.05.2009 Court demands data on trade union activists

According to www.gazetaby.com, Homel Tsentralny Court asks for detailed information on the participants of the constituent congress of the Radio-Electronic Industry Independent Trade Union’s local office, as part of the hearings concerning the refusal to register the organization by local authorities. Judge Shytsikau requires that the activists provide information on the occupation, both current and former, certified by authoritative references. According to the organization’s head Henadz Fiadynich, it is the first time the Belarusian judiciary demands similar data. ‘Courts can inquire about any kind of information, but why examine them through a magnifying glass?’ says the trade union leader.

21.05.2009 Oppositionist Paliakou to be tried for participating in Zakharanka memorial rally

Yesterday, on 20 May, Vasil Paliakou, head of UCPB Homel Regional Office, was visited by a police representative captain Shukel. According to Mr.Paliakou, the conversation looked like an interrogation, for the policeman drew up a record and later charged the Politian with violating Article 23.34 of the Administrative Code for participating in an unauthorized General Yury Zakharanka memorial picket on 7 May in front of the building of Homel regional police department. As a result, Vasil Paliakou may face a fine or an imprisonment of up to 15 days.

21.05.2009 Trial over Tamara Shchapiotkina remitted

According to RFE/RL, the independent journalist Tamara Shchapiotkina, detained by Biaroza town police during a picket on 26 April, will have to appear in court on 29 May, following her request to hear several police witnesses of the arrest. The journalist is accused of violating Article 23.34 of the Administrative Code – ‘disturbing public order during mass actions. According to the famous Brest human rights activist Raman Kisliuk, ‘the arrest is the violation of her right to free expression of opinions.’