19.06.2009 Valiantsin Stefanovich: ‘Ivan Kruk’s case should reach UN HR Committee’

The case of Ivan Kruk, member of the civil initiative ‘Astravets Nuclear Power Plant is a Crime’, has finally reached the court. The activist is charged with distributing printed materials with no proper output data. According to Viasna’s representative Valiantsin Stefanovich, Belarusian human rights activists are ready to help Mr.Kruk in protecting his rights. ‘We consider the situation as a violation of Mr.kruk’s rights and an outrage against Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, since the Treaty guarantees the right to freely disseminate and receive any kind of information.

19.06.2009 Right-wing Alliance registered

Minsk Tsentralny Executive Committee has granted state registration to the Right-wing Alliance as a non-profit information organization, says the NGO’s leader Yury Karetnikau. Their objectives include promoting political concepts and national ideas, non-profit publishing and tourist activities, as well as the propaganda of healthy life-style. ‘We are going to do what we have been doing before, but at the legal level. We also intend to open local offices in 25 Belarusian cities and towns,’ said Mr.Karetnikau. In 2004 Yury Karetnikau together with his associates tried to register Right-wing Alliance as a non-government organization. However, the authorities refused to do so, Mr.Karetnikau himself having been fired by his employer.

19.06.2009 Amnesty International: Council of Europe must remember about Belarusian political prisoners

On June 23 PACE deputies will vote on the issue of returning Special Guest status to Belarus.

Whatever the result of the vote would be, the human rights organisation “Amnesty International” calls upon the Assembly not to give up attempts to convince Belarus of necessity to announce official moratorium on capital punishment, and in the future – to abolish capital punishment. Besides, the Assembly should join in calls on immediate and unconditional release of 11 persons recognized as prisoners of conscience by Amnesty International, the statement of the organisation reads, “Viasna” informs.

19.06.2009 Dzmitry Harachnka: “Zeltser’s leg swollen, and he has lost much weight”

The lawyer of the US citizen Emanuel Zeltser has visited his client in the colony.

Emanuel Zeltser continues the hunger strike for 9th day, Radio Svaboda informs. He protests against actions of the Belarusian authorities that refuse to give the prisoner documents necessary for amnesty.