The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for July 2009

15.07.2009 Brest: young anti-fascists sentenced to 6 months of personal restraint

Maskouski district court of Brest sentenced three people to personal restraint for alleged initiation of a fight in a bus. Representatives of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee in Brest state that the case was controlled by the KGB.

14.07.2009 Member of BPF Youth Pavel Chuduk expelled from theological faculty of Belarusian State University

The activist of the BPF Youth Pavel Chuduk has been expelled from the second year of the theological faculty of the Belarusian State University. He encountered problems after a trip to Sweden, where he monitored the elections to the European Parliament.

14.07.2009 Warned for organizing School for Young Journalists

An organizer of the Slonim-based School for Young Journalists, civil activist Ales Masiuk, has been issued an official warning.

14.07.2009 Authorities to bring up young Stalinists soon?

An experimental military and patriotic camp for teenagers is opened near Minsk. Teenagers will run battle marches, shoot from combat arms and have trainings with the riot police militia, STV channel reports. By the way, it is riot police who is responsible for groundless violence against participants of peaceful demonstrations.

14.07.2009 Russian neo-Nazi threaten to journalist of Charter’97 website Natallia Radzina

On 8 July the article titled RBU leader granted amnesty in honour of the 65th anniversary of liberation of Belarus from Nazi troops was published on the website www.charter97.org . The article told how one of the leaders of the so called Russian National Unity (RNU) in Homel didn’t carry condign punishment for beating people, but was convicted under Article 193,1 ‘activity on behalf of an unregistered organization’ and granted amnesty before the judgment of conviction took effect.

13.07.2009 Representative of Belarusian Christian Democracy not allowed to familiarize with pretensions of the Ministry of Justice

The responsible secretary of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party Dzianis Sadouski paid a visit to the Supreme Court to familiarize with the documents where the pretensions of the Ministry of Justice because of which the BCD was not registered, were stated.

13.07.2009 Political prisoner Artsiom Dubski transferred to pre-trial prison in Babruisk

The Young Front activist will be kept in the pre-trial detention facility until his case is considered by higher instances. The Young Front press service learnt the information that Artsiom Dubski was guarded to the Babruisk pre-trial detention center from a duty officer of Asipovichy police department.

13.07.2009 Pressurization of Franak Viachorka in the army

Another pressure campaign has been started in the military unit in Mozyr against a leader of the BPF Youth Franak Viachorka who had been forcibly drafted to the army.

13.07.2009 Detention term to Afghan war veteran Ulanau’s extended for 10 days

The wife of the arrested Afghan war veteran has already filed a complaint with the Chief investigation department of the Interior Ministry of Belarus.

13.07.2009 FIDH denounces the condamnation of a youth organisation activist to one year Imprisonment

Paris, July 10, 2009 - FIDH is extremely concerned by the recent condamnation of Mr. Artiom Dubski, an activist of the « Young Front » organisation, to one year imprisonment.

10.07.2009 Vitsebsk activists protest against criminal persecution of human rights activist Leanid Svetsik

Civil and political activists of Vitsebsk distributed the following statement concerning the criminal persecution of Vitsebsk human rights defender Leanid Svetsik. Expressing their protest against criminal and court persecution the activists demand an objective and all-sided trial of Leanid Svetsik’s case by a competent, independent and impartial court.

10.07.2009 Detentions for banners in support of political prisoners

On 8 July the administrative commission of Frunzenski district of Minsk considered a report drawn up against the activist of the civil campaign European Belarus Ryhor Laurouski.

09.07.2009 Human rights defender Leanid Svetsik had his last plea. Verdict to be pronounced on 16 July

On 9 July Leanid Svetik, who is accused under Article 130, part 1 of the Criminal Code (fomentation of national and religious enmity), had his last plea at Vitsebsk oblast court. He pleaded innocent and stated that the criminal case was the revenge of the authorities for his human rights activities. Then the judge stated that the verdict will be pronounced on 16 July.

09.07.2009 Ivan Kruk appeals against fine

Astravets activist Ivan Kruk, who has been fined for handing out press editions containing no imprint, appealed against the verdict of Astravets district court to Hrodna oblast court, and also applied to Hrodna oblast prosecutor’s office.

09.07.2009 Homel: detentions for distribution of non-state newspapers

On 9 July at 7 a.m. policemen detained the head of Homel branch of the Party of Communists of Belarus Uladzimir Siakerka and his party comrade Mikalai Zasuski.