21.05.2009 Reporters without Borders: Lukashenka playing triple game

Representatives of Reporters without Borders blame the Belarusian authorities of pressing the opposition.

Only slightly changes in the situation with freedom of media can be noticed in Belarus, representative of Representatives of Reporters Elsa Vidal said on May 20. The human rights activist thinks there are different levers of pressure upon the Belarusian ruler in this sector, but it’s “very difficult to press on Alyaksandr Lukashenka”, Deutsche Welle reports.

20.05.2009 Independent trade union leader demands reinstatement of fired workers

Mikalai Kanakh, vice-head of the Belarusian Congress of Pro-Dem Trade Unions, says financial assistance to the fired trade union activists is not an adequate remedy to implement the recommendations by the International Labour Organizations, demanding their full reinstatement. At the same time, the trade union leader welcomes the willingness of the government to establish relationships with the independent trade unions and continue cooperating with the ILO. However, Mr.Kanakh is sure no compensation could repair the enormous damage to the Belarusian independent trade union movement caused by the authorities over the past decade.

20.05.2009 Hospital security refuse to accept parcel for Autukhovich

According to the human rights activists Valiantsin Stefanovich and Uladzimir Labkovich, representatives of Belarusian Hospital of the Ministry of the Interior's security service refused to accept a parcel for Mikalai Autukhovich with water and medicines, saying the visitors were not his close relatives. Mr.Labkovich says head of the hospital security admitted his refusal was illegal, which is absolutely intolerable and is an evidence of the cynicism of the authorities, trying to create absurd restrictions.

20.05.2009 Belarus may consider declaring moratorium on death penalty, says MP Hlaz

According to Anatol Hlaz, deputy of the House of Representatives and vice-head of Human Rights, National Relations and Mass Media Parliamentary Committee, the Belarusian authorities may soon declare a moratorium on the death penalty. ‘Now we can work out the necessary legislative grounds for declaring a moratorium on the death penalty,’ says Mr.Hlaz. He also stressed that it could ‘facilitate establishing a dialogue with Europe.’

20.05.2009 Protestant church seized

According to www.charter97.org, Minsk housing department officials have been ordered to seize the building belonging to the New Life Protestant church in uptown Minsk. New Life’s lawyer Siarhei Lukanin says the church members have addressed Minsk city authorities with a letter saying they will not leave the building. According to V.Erafeeu, representative of the city housing department, the officials will have to execute the order anyway, providing no explanations on the possible measures.

20.05.2009 Panamarou’s property distressed again

The private house of Siarhei Panamarou, head of BPF Kletsk office, has once again been visited by court executors, who were to distress the property to compensate the fine of BYR 1,050,000 awarded to the politician for arranging a public meeting with Anton Astapovich, head of Monuments Protection Society, as well as a BYR 9,000,000 fine for tax evasion in 2006. According to Mr.Panamarou, the Superior Economic Court has made three attempts to distress his property, repeatedly finding there is nothing to seize.

20.05.2009 A Day in the Life of a Political Prisoner by Radio Liberty

The Belarusian Bureau of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has issued a book ‘A Day in the Life of a Political Prisoner’, featuring 41 stories by Belarusian prisoners of conscience, starting from 1996. According to the author of the book Hanna Sous, the edition is dedicated to Belarusian political prisoners who had to go through the things the late human rights activist Yana Paliakova refused to bear – the stench of pre-trial detention centers, the plank beds of the Akrestsina prison, days-long transportations of convicted prisoners, the solitude of overcrowded cells, the dull toil of deportation colonies, the hunger-strikes of barracks, the wasted health, homesickness and senseless cassations and, eventually, freedom, when everything seems different and hostile…

20.05.2009 Political prisoner Autukhovich returned to detention center in spite of terrible condition

Mikalai Autukhovich has been discharged from the Republican Prison Hospital on the 35th day of hunger strike.

Radio Svaboda learnt this from a physician, who told this during his traditional Wednesday meeting with relatives of prisoners.

“We a re puzzled, we don’t know why he has been sent to us. We accepted him yesterday, but we are going to send him back to the detention center as he doesn’t want to take medical aid. He says he feels OK, he has no complaints,” the doctor said.

18.05.2009 Mikalai Autukhovich’s life in danger: he is transferred to prison hospital

Condition of the political prisoner makes impossible his staying in the pre-trial detention center. Mikalai Autukhovich, who has been on hunger strike for more than a month, is transferred to the Republican Hospital of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The human rights center Viasna learnt this from Pavel Sapelka, lawyer of the arrested entrepreneur.

“Today, when I was visiting Mikalai Autukhovich, he was told he would be transferred to the Republican Hospital of the Department of Corrections of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It means that his condition has deteriorated making it impossible to that he could stay in the detention center, even in the medical unit,” Pavel Sapelka said.

18.05.2009 Human rights activist to stand trial for organizing rally at anniversary of Chernobyl disaster

An administrative case of Tamara Shchapyotkina, public and human rights activist from Byaroza, is to take place in the Byaroza district court at 4.00 p.m. May 20.

The activist is accused of violation of the rules of organizing and holding a mass street event (part 1, article 23.34 of the Code of Administrative Offences of Belarus), human rights center Viasna reports.

On April 26, during a traditional action “Candle of Memory” timed to an anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, Tamara Shchapyotkina was detained by militia in Byaroza.

The action “Candle of Memory” has been carried out in Byaroza for the eighth time. It has never been agreed upon with officials, as its format, human rights activists think, doesn’t fall within the law.

18.05.2009 Belarusian authorities ignore recommendations by ILO

According to www.regionby.org, the National Council for the Improvement of Social and Labour Legislation has refused to reinstate 5 fired workers, engaged in independent trade union movement, despite the repeated recommendations by the International Labour Organization. Instead, the workers were offered various kinds of compensation. According to an independent trade union leader Vadzim Dukhamenka, ‘no partial compensations would be considered as the implementation of the recommendations by the ILO.’ ‘The government want to solve the problem of the ILO recommendations by petty sops, instead of reinstating the activists in their jobs. As a result, this impedes with the independent trade unions’ regular activities,’ says trade union activist Mikalai Sharakh.

18.05.2009 Case against human rights activist Leanid Svetsik reaches trial

Vitsebsk regional prosecutor’s office has submitted the lawsuit against the local human rights activist Leanid Svetsik to Vitsebsk regional court. No details on the trial are known yet. Leanid Svetsik has been accused of fomenting religious strife and libel against President Lukashenka. Mr.Svetsik does not admit his guilt, saying the prosecution is the result of his human rights activities.

18.05.2009 Ministry of education to close down private universities’ local offices

According to www.regionby.org, thousands of non-Minsk students may be deprived of their right to higher education in case Minister of Education Aliaksandr Radzkou succeeds in his attempt to close down local offices of private universities. As a result, many of them would not be able to commute between their home towns and Minsk. As yet, the Ministry of Education has not arrived at a final decision.

18.05.2009 KGB induce Young Front activists to cooperation

According to Young Front press-service, a YF member Nadzeya Pekraskaya was offered collaboration by a number of KGB agents during a conversation at the Journalists’ Faculty of Belarusian State University. ‘They said they would help solve all my problems,’ said Ms.Pekarskaya. She also had a conversation with the Faculty Dean Mr.Dubovik, who demanded that the activist provided explanations on her recent arrest during the 7 May rally. As a result, the official said the girl would be expelled from the University in case she is detained again.’

18.05.2009 Youth activists stopped hunger strike

Participants of hunger strike of solidarity with Mikalai Autukhovich, Yury Lyavonau, and Uladzimir Asipenka stopped the strike.

This decision was reached on May 15, after Belarusian politicians – one of the leaders of the unregistered Belarusian Christian Democracy party Paval Sevyarynets, head of the BPF partyLyavon Barshcheuski, leader of the “For Freedom” movement Alyaksandr Milinkevich, as well as Mikalai Statkevich, and Vyachaslau Siuchyk – addressed them.