18.11.2009 ‘Right not to Shoot’ campaign launched

According to the UCPB’ press-service, as part of the ‘Right not to Shoot’ civil campaign, a number of Young Democrats activists, including Fiodar Maslennikau, Aliaksandr Siarheyenka and Aliaksandr Stsepanenka, distributed leaflets among students of Minsk universities, covering the issue of the alternative service and its future in Belarus. According to a preliminary public opinion poll, 56% of Minsk students have never heard of the type of service and 78% say they would like Belarusian youth to have a right to choose between the traditional and the alternative types of service.

18.11.2009 Homel Regional Court recalls fine to local activist

Judge Vasil Biahun of Homel Regional Court has ruled to reverse a 700,000-rouble fine to Valery Rybchanka, local opposition Communist leader, his civil case being sent for reconsideration at Homel Chyhunachny Court. The activist was fined for mere intent to participate in a memorial picket on 19 October. Mr. Rybchanka claims he was not taking part in the demonstration at the moment he was arrested, since he was taking photos of it.

18.11.2009 President of European Parliament: “It’s last chance for Lukashenka”

“If we see no concrete progress on the way to democratization, then the process of the EU rapprochement with Belarus should be stopped,” Jerzy Buzek stated.

In this way the president of the European Parliament commented on the decision of the Council of Europe to extend visa sanctions against Belarusian officials till October 2010 and at the same time “freeze” them.

“It must be the last chance for Lukashenka’s regime,” Jerzy Buzek is quoted by the Polish Radio as saying.

Earlier the president of the European Parliament stated that “the progress in Belarus is really very little, and we are highly concerned that there is no pronounced democratization”.

17.11.2009 Unauthorized demonstration in Minsk`s central square passes off without incident

An unauthorized demonstration staged in Minsk`s downtown Kastrychnitskaya Square on Monday evening to demand the release of political prisoners and commemorate the unsolved disappearances of four government opponents passed off without incident.

The demonstration came one day before the European Union`s foreign ministers were to decide whether to reimpose sanctions against Alyaksandr Lukashenka and other Belarusian officials.

At 6 p.m., some 40 opposition activists formed a line in the square along Independence Avenue, displaying images of opposition politicians Yury Zakharanka and Viktar Hanchar, businessman Anatol Krasowski and journalist Dzmitry Zavadski, who mysteriously disappeared in 1999 and 2000. They also displayed images of Artsyom Dubski, Mikalay Awtukhovich and Uladzimir Asipenka, who are believed to be political prisoners.

17.11.2009 EU to extend freeze on sanctions against Belarusian officials

The European Union is expected to prolong the freeze on its sanctions against Alyaksandr Lukashenka and other Belarusian officials next week but not lift the threat entirely due to a lack of progress on political reform, reported Reuters with reference to a draft statement seen on Thursday, BelaPAN said.

In October 2008, the European Union suspended for six months its travel ban against Alyaksandr Lukashenka and 35 other Belarusian officials. The suspension of the sanctions was extended for another nine months this past March to encourage the Belarusian government to carry out "further concrete measures towards democracy and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms."

The draft statement due to be approved by the EU foreign ministers during their meeting in Brussels next Monday and Tuesday said that the suspension would be extended until October 2010 to encourage further changes, according to the report.

16.11.2009 Rector of Medical University Dismissed for Disclosure of Flaws in Placement of Graduates

The Health Ministry didn’t extend the labor contract to Pavel Bespalchuk, rector of the Belarusian State Medical University. Pavel Bespalchuk could have retired quietly, as many Belarusian officials do. However, he was brave enough to publish a scandalous article in the newspaper Vesnik BDMU (BSMU Courier) under the title Till 31 November. In this publication he describes how the graduates of his university are placed to jobs. He characterized the situation as ‘lawlessness that has reached its apogee’.

16.11.2009 Organizing committee of Belarusian Party of Workers sues Ministry of Justice

On 12 November the organizing committee of the Belarusian Party of Workers filed to the Supreme Court a complaint against the registration denial to the Ministry of Justice.

16.11.2009 Cultural-educational civil association ‘Golden Lion’ denied registration

The main justice department of Hrodna oblast executive committee denied the state registration to the Cultural-educational association ‘Golden Lion’ from Slonim.

16.11.2009 Belarusian authorities consider Yuzepchuk’s address to UN illegal

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has received from the state organs of Belarus explanations concerning the individual communication on behalf of the death convict Vasil Yuzepchuk.

16.11.2009 Santa Clauses received answer from Office of Prosecutor General

The General Prosecutor’s Office found the activities of Santa Clauses on New Year’s Eve illegal. The group of Santa Clauses will be brought to responsibility if it will be established that they take systematic part in an unregistered organization, says the letter of the General Prosecutor’s Office.

16.11.2009 Lithuanian MP Emmanuelis Zingeris not allowed in Belarus

The member of the Lithuanian Parliament Emmanuelis Zingeris was denied the Belarusian visa. He was to have come to Belarus to read the greeting message on behalf of the head of the Lithuanian Parliament Irena Degutiene, the BNS informs.

16.11.2009 Death penalty: news in Vasil Yuzepchuk’s case

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs answered the address of human rights defenders concerning the registration of the death convict Vasil Yuzepchuk’s communication by the UN Human Rights Committee.

16.11.2009 Ales Bialiatski: ‘There ten times more NGOs in Armenia than in Belarus’

According to information of the BelaPAN Aleh Slizheuski, head of the civil associations board of the Ministry of Justice, stated that there was prepared a draft law that would decrease the legal terms for consideration of the documents submitted for NGOs for obtaining the state registration (at present the legal term is one month). The official also stated that the procedure of registration would be simplified.

16.11.2009 Rights of national minorities of Belarus are restricted

According to the amendments to the Law On Languages in the Republic of Belarus that will come into force in ten days, representatives of national minorities in Belarus would be able to teach their children in their national language only with permission from the Education Ministry.

16.11.2009 Kobryn: district court refuses to consider Aliaksandr Mekh’s complaint against unlawful detention

Alaksandr Mekh, the head of the BPF branch in Kobryn, got an answer from the district court over his arrest at the Dazhynki harvest festival.