16.07.2009 Head of State Religious Committee supports closure of New Life church

During a special press-conference on 15 July in Minsk, Leanid Huliaka, head of the State Committee for Religious and National Affairs, spoke in favour of the closure of the New Life Protestant Church by Minsk city authorities. According to Mr.Huliaka, the church failed to register at its address at 72 Kavaliova St. ‘It was not reregistered, since its building was not meant for services. The priests turned the building into a church without permission. That is why Minsk authorities cannot register the association at the address,’ said the official.

16.07.2009 Activist fined by tax inspection

For Freedom member Mikita Krasnou has been fined BYR 210,000 for failure to appear at tax inspection and is threatened with more severe punishment for organizing ‘educational clubs.’ The tax inspection is sure the training could not be carried out free of charge. They suspect Mikita Krasnou of failing to declare the income he could have received for it. As a result, the activist is facing several million worth fine.

16.07.2009 Oppositional Communist activist lodges claim with head of Supreme Court

Viktar Tsiapin, member of the oppositional Belarusian Part of Communists, has addressed head of the Supreme Court Valiantsin Sukala with an open letter, saying that Baranavichy local authorities have virtually banned the freedom of peaceful assembly, association, rallies and demonstrations guaranteed by the Constitution. Mr.Tsiapin demands to reverse a decision by Baranavichy town authorities to ban a picket on 27 September 2008. The activist has also drawn up a complaint to be submitted to the UN Human Rights Committee. However he hopes the problem may be solved within Belarus.

16.07.2009 Belarusian politician banned from leaving Belarus

Belarusian politician Siarhei Salash has not been allowed to leave the country as he was going through the customs at Minsk-2 international airport due to ‘a travel ban.’ Mr.Salash was going to the USA to take part in an educational programme. A few days before he had visited Lithuania and had no problems while crossing the border.

16.07.2009 Catholic church not to be handed over to believers

The Bernadine Catholic church situated in downtown Minsk will not be transferred to the possession of believers since there are no vacant premises for the state archive, which has been stored in the building for years, BelaPAN reports. According to Leanid Huliaka, State Commissioner for Religious and National Affairs, ‘the administration of the archive do not object to handing over the church, but there are no specially equipped buildings for it in Minsk.’

16.07.2009 Autukhovich stopped 3-month hunger strike – he is in critical condition

The longest hunger strike ever held by Belarusian political prisoners was stopped on July 16, the Day of Belarusian Solidarity.

Website www.charter97.org learnt this information today morning from political prisoner Mikalai Autukhovich’s lawyer Pavel Sapelka, who visited his client in detention facility #1 in Minsk. The hunger strike lasted for three months, since April 16. The prisoner has lost 35 kilograms for this period.

16.07.2009 Human rights activist Leanid Svetsik sentenced to huge fine

Judge of Vitsebsk regional court found the human rights activist guilty of stirring up religious and ethnic discord.

Leanid Svetsik must pay a fine of 31 mln Br ($10,890).

In his turn, as Radio Svaboda notes, the human rights activist strongly objects the verdict and believes he had been convicted illegally.

In 2006–2007, Leanid Svetsik was rendering legal aid to Vitsebsk activists, who received letters with threats on behalf of unregistered pro-Nazi organization Russian National Unity, was helping to prepare complaints to prosecutors.