The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for December 2009

15.12.2009 Minsk court reversed verdict to Andrei Bandarenka

The College Board of Minsk city court reversed the verdict of the Pershamaiski district court concerning the case of Andrei Bandarenka. The reason is that not all of the case materials have been examined and the court showed a tendentious approach during the trial. The case was returned to the Pershamaiski district court for the second trial. Bandarenka’s lawyer Zmitser Layeuski does not rule out that the trial can take place in January.

15.12.2009 Brest: the only human rights rally in Belarus on Human Rights Day

In Belarus the only rally dated to the 61st anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Human Rights Day was sanctioned in Brest, at the Locomotive stadium that has been determined by Brest authorities as the only place for the opposition’s mass actions.

15.12.2009 Minsk offices of ‘Narodnaya Volia’ and ‘Reuters’ were ‘mined’

Police evacuated people from the building where offices Reuters news agency and Narodnaya Volia newspaper are situated, broke into and searched journalists’ offices.

15.12.2009 Pavel Sapelka: ‘Under the law Autukhovich was to have been released long ago’

The lawyer of the political prisoner Mikalai Autukhovich believes that the Belarusian authorities have no grounds to keep Vaukavysk entrepreneur behind the bars.

15.12.2009 Medical commission recognizes Franak Viachorka unfit for military service

The medics found the forcefully drafted opposition activist has stage 2 hypertension with a risk to deteriorate to stage 3 hypertension.

15.12.2009 European Commission: Lukashenka’s participation in presidential election contradicts democratic principles

In its estimation of the upcoming election campaigns in Belarus, the EU is to be basing upon the conclusion of the OSCE, stated another OSCE representative.

15.12.2009 Belarusian authorities prepare decree on Internet limitations

Nasha Niva newspaper received a draft decree On measures for revising the use of the national segment of the World Wide Web.

10.12.2009 Information action in Rechytsa

On 10 December in Rechytsa the local civil and political activists handed out about 1,500 copies of the bulletin Rechytskia Ahliad dedicated to the 61st anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. As said by the human rights defender Valer Putsitski, the police did not interfere with the action and citizens treated the action positively.

10.12.2009 Human rights defenders pass petition to authorities

On the International Human Rights Day representatives of the Belarusian human rights community passed to the Presidential Administration a petition calling to abolish the death penalty as a kind of punishment that contradicts to the right to life guaranteed by the Constitution and international human rights treaties.

10.12.2009 Human rights defenders congratulate Minsk citizens on Human Rights Day

On 10 December in Minsk civil activists and representatives of different human rights organizations congratulated the people on the International Human Rights Day.

10.12.2009 Celebration of Human Rights Day is virtually banned by Belarusian authorities

Human rights are prohibited to hold pickets or any other actions on the World Day of Human Rights, 10 December.

10.12.2009 Human Rights Alliance announced names of its prizeholders

On 9 December in Minsk the civil initiative Human Rights Alliance announced the names of the holders of its yearly prize for human rights protection. The festive event was attended by about 50 people including journalists, politicians and civil activists.

10.12.2009 Belarusian Christian Democracy denied registration once again

On 9 December the Justice Ministry denied state registration to the Belarusian Christian Democracy party for the second time this year.

10.12.2009 All persons liable for military service will be fingerprinted

‘Amendments to the law On state dactylographic registration envisages spreading the obligatory fingerprinting on all those who are liable for the army service,’ stated the Interior Minister Anatoly Kuliashou, Interfax informs.

09.12.2009 Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in November 2009

In Belarus November started with the population's panic caused by the epidemic of an acute virus disease that often brought such complication as pneumonia. On 4 November Liliya Ananich, the first Deputy Minister of Information, stated the ministry 'will stop any attempts to misinform the population of the country'. The same day Valiantsina Kachan, Deputy Minister of Health, voiced the data from which it followed that 19 people had died of pneumonia during the two last weeks. All of them were tested for swine flu and in seven cases the tests were positive. This was all official information. Meanwhile, for 2-29 November 170 819 cases of swine flu and acute respiratory viral infection were registered in Homel oblast alone. 44.2% of the ill were children and 55.8% – adults. 3.3% (5 825 persons) were hospitalized. As of 30 November quarantine was declared in ten educational establishments of the Homel oblast.