19.08.2009 Prosecutor General speaks in favour of death penalty

Belarusian Prosecutor General Ryhor Vasilevich believes that grave crimes should be punished with the death penalty. ‘In 2009 2 persons have been sentenced to capital punishment in Belarus. The measure is severe, but fair,’ declared Mr.Vasilevich at a press-conference in Minsk. Speaking on the reasonableness of the verdicts, Prosecutor General said that one of them was passed to the murder of 7 elderly women in Drahichyn district, the other being the case of double murder as a result of a holdup, Interfax reports.

19.08.2009 Belarus to abolish death penalty in September?

Belarus might introduce a moratorium on the death penalty in September. Garry Pahaniaila, a lawyer from the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, reckons it will be the most conducive time.

He said: “September, because PACE and European structures in autumn will decide on whether to extend or lift sanctions against Belarus officials. It is also possible that a special-guest status would be returned to Belarus. Therefore, our authorities would like to meet some recommendations voiced by PACE and several EU officials. September is a good time to express "good will" and demonstrate Belarus' desire to implement the recommnedations of the international community".

19.08.2009 Estonian MP: European officials shouldn’t forget about kidnappings in Belarus

Silver Meikar, an Estonian MP representing the Reform Party, head of the Association in Defence of Democratic Development of Belarus, says one should adhere to principles in a dialogue with Lukashenka.

Silver Meikar wrote about this in his article on website Delfi.

As the Estonian MP wrote, Europe, that used to be an opponent of the Europe’s last dictator for a long time, has convinced in practice that isolation of the Belarusian regime has no prospects. Lukashenka was able to hold his power with Russia’s help. Then the EU chose another way – a dialogue, the way of re-education of the dictator.

18.08.2009 BPF member sacked for participating in rally

According to the BPF’s press-service, Aliaksandr Kuzniatsou, head of the party’s Vitsebsk City office, is going to be fired after he took part in the 27 July opposition rally in the town of Haradok, Vitsebsk region. Another BPF activist Siarhei Zviozdachkin was sacked for participating in the rally a few days ago.

18.08.2009 Minsk authorities ban anti-crisis picket

According to Radio Racyja, Minsk city authorities have banned an anti-crisis picket in downtown Minsk on 18 August. The picket was arranged by activists of the oppositional Belarusian Party of Communists, who were going to protest against the violations of the social rights of workers, as well as to demand a wage rise, advance of social benefits and prevention of mass job destruction. According to the party’s press secretary Siarhei Vazniak, the authorities banned the rally because they are afraid of the social campaign launched by the local oppositional Communists and members of the United Civil Party of Belarus.

18.08.2009 Leanid Svetsik to appeal verdict by Vitsebsk Regional Court

The Panel of Judges for Criminal Cases of the Supreme Court of Belarus is going to consider an appeal by Vitsebsk human rights activist Leanid Svetsik and his lawyer Pavel Sapelka against the verdict by Vitsebsk Regional Court on 15 September. The human rights activist was convicted of fomenting national and racial hatred and fined BYR 31,500,000 on 16 July 2009.

18.08.2009 For Freedom activist fined

According to the BelaPAN news agency quoting human rights activist Raman Kisliak, on 18 August Brest Leninski Court convicted For Freedom member Dzianis Turchaniak of disobedience of police order and fined him BYR 1,400,000. According to Mr.Kisliak, the activist was detained on 17 August in downtown Brest during an opposition flash-mob. Dzianis Turchaniak claims he was not taking part in the rally. However, he, together with a Young Front activist Mikhail Ilyin, was arrested and taken to the local police department to be charged with disobedience of orders and disorderly conduct, respectively. Mikhail Ilyin is still to stand trial on 25 August after he made a request for counsel.

18.08.2009 Amnesty International launches new campaign against death penalty in Belarus

The Amnesty International human rights group has launched a new campaign for the abolition of the death penalty in Belarus. The group proposes to send letters to the head of Belarus, urging to replace the death penalty sentences to Vasil Yuzepchuk and Andrei Zhyk with imprisonment and to introduce a moratorium on the death penalty.

The Belapan news agency reminds that Vasil Yuzepchuk, 30, a resident of the Drahichyn district, in Jume 2009 was sentenced to capital punishment for killing several female pensioners. 25-year-old Zhuk from Salihorsk was sentenced to death for murdering two people who were carrying money to be paid as salaries.

18.08.2009 Homel oppositionist fined for EU flag

The administrative commission of the Savetski district of Homel fined activist of the “For Freedom” movement Zinaida Shumilina 175,000 rubles.

As Radio Svaboda reports, the members of the commission and its chairman, deputy head of the district administration Mikhail Shyshkou, decided that Zinaida Shumilina didn’t have the right to hang out a national white-red-white flag, a European flag, and a banner “Hunger Strike of Protest” in her private house.

17.08.2009 Relatives of missing Belarusians demand report from Prosecutor General

During a special press-conference on 17 August, the wife of Viktar Hanchar together with the mother of Dzmitry Zavadski declared that the relatives of the missing persons demand an international investigation of the ‘disappearances.’ According to Zinaida Hanchar, they have sent 6 addresses to Belarusian Prosecutor General Ryhor Vasilevich, PACE, and a number of world top-leaders – Dmitry Medvedev, Barack Obama, Angela Merkel. ‘Belarusian officials have mentioned either the Russian or the German clue, and even the commercial character of the crimes. However, it is absolutely obvious that all this is nothing but an effort to divert attention from the actual reasons for the kidnapping of the famous Belarusians,’ says the address.

17.08.2009 Minsk City Court denies amnesty to Ales Straltsou

According to an official letter signed by Judge V.Putsila, Minsk City Court has turned down the claim by Ales Straltsou, one of the accused in the ‘case of 14’, against the verdict by Minsk Tsentralny Court of 15 June 2009. The verdict reduced the punishment Mr.Straltsou must have been released from under the Law on Amnesty. ‘Under Article 21 of the Law on Amnesty of 5 May 2009, the application of amnesty to persons convicted to restraint of liberty without sending them to an open type institution as a result of a valid judgment, are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Interior’, says the letter. Meanwhile, Belarusian human rights activists have repeatedly called upon the authorities to grant a prompt and unambiguous amnesty to all the participants of the ‘process of 14’ and stresses that the issue has not been attended to properly.

17.08.2009 Correspondent of Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita got warning

Andrzej Pisalnik, a correspondent of Rzeczpospolita in Belarus, got an official warning for an “intention to spread newspapers without imprints”.

As Radio Svaboda reports, the journalist got a official warning from prosecutors for the fact copies of Magazyn Polski na Uchodzstwie and newspaper Glos znad Niemna had been found in his car and confiscated by militia in Shchuchyn in June. According to prosecutors, he allegedly was going to spread them illegally.

17.08.2009 Russian journalists arrested and deported from Belarus

An NTV film crew was shooting a film in Minsk about the disappeared politicians.

Aleksey Malkov and Yury Babenko were detained on August 14 in the hotel of the International Education Center (IBB) where they had stayed.

As the website www.charter97.org learnt that officers of secret services in mufti got the journalists out of the room at 7:00 p.m. The people signed Malkov and Babenko out. According to the preliminary information, the journalists were guarded to the Maskouski district militia department.

14.08.2009 Alexander Barazenka got amnestied

The figurant of the Process of 14 Alexander Barazenka has been amnestied. ‘On 12 August I was summonsed to Pinsk city prosecutor’s office and informed about it’, said Mr. Barazenka to BelaPAN.

14.08.2009 Address of human rights defenders about language discrimination in the army forwarded again

The address of representatives of Human Rights Center Viasna with the demand to stop the unlawful persecution of the Belarusian-speaking soldiers including F.Viachorka has been forwarded again – this time to Homel inter-garrison military procuracy. The human rights defenders were officially informed about it by lieutenant-colonel A.Kot, first deputy military prosecutor of Belarus.