28.07.2009 Court reduces sentence to Ales Straltsou in violation to Law on Amnesty

One of the participants of the ‘Case of 14’ Ales Straltsou has lodged a complaint with Minsk City Court against the verdict of Minsk Tsentralny Court of 15 June 2009, which reduced the activist’s sentence. However, Ales Straltsou must have been freed from the punishment under the Law on Amnesty. In April 2008 Ales Straltsou was sentenced to two years of imprisonment for ‘peace disturbance’ during the January 2008 entrepreneurs’ rally in Minsk. The sentence was later reduced to 14 months of imprisonment and 15 days of correctional work.

28.07.2009 Homel regional pro-dem forces launch campaign for return of benefits

Homel pro-democratic activists have launched a political campaign for the imposition of regional benefits for socially vulnerable citizens. According to the Coordinating Council of the United Pro-Democratic Forces, the evergrowing crisis tendencies have made certain groups of people, deprived of state support in the time of relative well-being, strive for survival. One of the local pro-dem leaders Vasil Paliakou expatiated upon the matter: ‘The authority of the local councils includes the possibility of imposing benefits for certain groups of people. That is why we are going to initiate collection of signatures aimed at forcing local council deputies to carry through the draft bill that will eventually let the most vulnerable groups of people – retired persons, students, children, disabled etc. – enjoy certain social benefits.

28.07.2009 Mass arrests on Independence Day in Minsk

Riot militiamen arrested more than 20 activists of the civil campaign “European Belarus” who wanted to celebrate the 19th anniversary of the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Belarus in the centre of Minsk.

On July 27 at 7 p.m. in Yanka Kupala park activists of the civil campaign “European Belarus” planned to hold a flash mob dedicated to the Independence Day of Belarus. Each one of the young people took out a copy of the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Belarus and started to read it.

28.07.2009 Editor of magazine of Union of Poles in Belarus summoned to prosecutor’s office

Editor-in-chief of “Magazyn Polski na uchodźstwie” Ihar Bantsar received a summons from the prosecutor’s office of the Hrodna region saying he must give explanations to the deputy prosecutor.

Ihar Bantsar doesn’t exclude the reason for summons was the May issue of “Magazyn Polski na uchodźstwie”, containing a number of critical materials about Alyaksandr Lukashenka and measures taken by the committee of state security (KGB) against independent journalists. Besides, a collage depicting Lukashenka as Russian tsar Alexander III was placed on the cover, the independent journalist told Radio Svaboda.

28.07.2009 In Lida Young Front activists detained for leaflets “Freedom to Dubski”in Lida Young Front activists detained for leaflets “Freedom to Dubski”

On July 27 in Lida near the railway station policemen detained Vadzim Barouski and Kastus Litvinski.

Young activists were pasting informational leaflets about the political prisoner Artsyom Dubski.

Policemen took “Young Front” activists to the regional police department.

“In the regional police department policemen didn’t know what article to pin on us, so they put the Criminal Code on the table and said: you can choose one yourselves,” Vadzim Barouski said in an interview to the website mfront.net.

28.07.2009 Prosecutor's office checks whether Belsat TV channel works in Belarus

The prosecutor’s office of Shklou studies the complaint by an engineer of a news paper plant against an independent Mahilyou-based journalist Henadz Sudnik.

As informed by Radio Svaboda, today Henadz Sudnik has been giving explanations to the prosecutor of Shklou’s prosecutor’s office.

The journalist was served a summons to the prosecutor’s office. The conversation lasted for about an hour. Henadz Sudnik called the complaint by the chief engineer a provocation.