The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for 12 Oct 2009

12.10.2009 ‘They wanted me to confess for more cases, but I said they should stop earning points on me’

A short frail man, looking quite pitifully, was sitting behind the bars in the court hall. What he was saying was sometimes not very understandable. His words showed that he sometimes did not understand well enough what was going on around him.

12.10.2009 Provocation against journalist Henadz Barbarych

Unidentified persons smashed the window in the apartment of the journalist of the Belarusy i Rynak newspaper Henadz Barbarych.

12.10.2009 Lahoisk: policemen are accused of torturing a suspect

Lahoisk district prosecutor’s office has instigated a criminal case against two officers of the local police department. According to the information of the Ezhednevnik, they are accused of torturing a suspect.

12.10.2009 Human rights defenders remind about problem of death penalty in Belarus (photos)

On 10 October, the World Day against the Death Penalty, representatives of human rights organizations reminded the public about the problem of the death penalty in Belarus. As it was discovered as a result of talks with passers-by, some of them even did not know such kind of penalty existed in Belarus while the death verdicts continued to be issued in the country.

12.10.2009 Navapolatsk: police detain participants of action against death penalty

Navapolatsk police detained the human rights defender Zmitser Salauyou and the youth activsits Alina Kucharenka and Yury Palonski during an informational action dated to the Universal Day against the Death Penalty within the framework of the campaign Human Rights Defenders against Death Penalty in Belarus.

12.10.2009 Awards were given to winners of contest of competition of creative works on death penalty

The names of the winners of the competition of creative works within the framework of the campaign Human Rights Defenders against Death Penalty in Belarus were called on 10 October, on the World Day against the Death Penalty.

12.10.2009 Russian nuclear physicist got 7 days of arrest in Belarus for criticizing plans on construction of NPP there

Russian nuclear physicist Andrey Ozharovsky was detained in the town of Astravets where he arrived to take part in public consultations.

12.10.2009 Soldier's mother taken to mental hospital for protesting

According to the European Radio for Belarus, on 1 October the student Artur Achapouski was evicted from Hrodna University for having missed a month of studies. Meanwhile, the guy who entered the university in summer and received state-subsidized education is serving in the army. He became a soldier a few days before the admission commission enrolled him at the university.

12.10.2009 Activists of ‘European Belarus’ detained for hanging out anti-nuclear banner at Astravets’ entrance

On 9 October a banner was hung out at the entrance to the town of Astravets where the public consultations on construction of a nuclear power plant in Belarus took place.

12.10.2009 ‘Mahiliouki Chas’ newspaper denied registration

The Ministry of Information refused to register “Mahilouski Chas” newspaper. As website European Belarus reports, documents for registration were filed on 10 September. Editor-in-chief Hanna Illina called to the ministry and was told that the newspaper hadn’t been registered and the notice about this had been sent a week ago.

12.10.2009 ‘Young Front’ activist tried in absentia for ‘Communism = Fascism’ picket

Hanna Bunko was fined 175 000 rubles for a picket dedicated to the 70th anniversary of signing Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact.

12.10.2009 Minsk: Information center of Council of Europe launches campaign against death penalty

On 10 October, the World Day against the Death Penalty, the Council of Europe’s information centre in Minsk launched a campaign on abolition of the death penalty.

12.10.2009 Supreme Court turned down claim of Belarusian Party of Workers

The court refused to consider a claim of the founder of the Belarusian Party of Workers (BPW) against the Ministry of Justice which suspended the process of the party registration.