The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for February 2010

19.02.2010 Alternative civilian service: criminal persecution instead of law

Despite the fact that drafting of the law on alternative service has been initiated by President Lukashenka, officers of military enlistment offices continue the drafting of the people whom they consider as evading from military service.

19.02.2010 Salihorsk: heads of enterprises are warned

On 18 February, representatives of the largest state enterprises of the town were gathered in the Salihorsk district executive committee for ‘prophylactic instructional advice on the eve of the agitation campaign of the pretenders to the local Soviets of Deputies.

19.02.2010 Aleh Surhan sentenced to six months of arrest

On 19 February, the Kastrychnitski district court in Vitsebsk sentenced Aleh Surhan, 47, to six month of arrest and obliged him to pay 2.5 million rubles as compensation to the alleged victim, policeman Siarhei Dudkevich. The arrest term is calculated from 27 January, the day when Surhan was detained.

19.02.2010 ’Young Front’ activist is threatened with criminal case for evasion from military service

Piatro Ruzau, activist of the Baranavichy branch of the Young Front who studies on Kastus Kalinouski educational program in Poland, is threatened with instigation of a criminal case for evasion from military service.

19.02.2010 Hrodna: BAJ member not admitted to press conference

On 17 February Viktar Parfionenka, member of the Belarusian Association of Journalists, wasn’t admitted to the quarterly press conference in the Hrodna oblast executive committee dedicated to development of the region. It was the first press conference with participation of Ivan Zhuk as acting Chairperson of the Hrodna oblast executive committee.

19.02.2010 Law machinery wouldn’t discuss beatings of participants of mass actions

Belarusian human rights activists planned to discuss illegitimate repressive actions against civil society with regime representatives.

18.02.2010 Krupki: memberss of initiative groups are pressurized at work

On 18 February Siarhei Kletny, worker of the housing and public utilities of Krupki, was summoned to the director’s office. Besides the boss, Mr. Kletny was met by Mikalai Bury and Uladzmir Zahorski, Deputy Chairpersons of the Krupki district executive committee.

18.02.2010 Supreme Court didn’t grant appeal against non-registration of ‘Brestskaya Viasna’

On 18 February the cassation appeal of the founders of the human rights NGO Brestskaya Viasna concerning the verdict of the Brest oblast court of 29 December by which the decision of the justice department of the Brest oblast executive committee on non-registration of the organization was left in force.

18.02.2010 Hrodna: courts don’t grant claims of members of political parties

The Hrodna oblast court dismissed the cassation complaint of the Hrodna oblast organization of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party. The reason is that the verdict against which the members of the party appeal runs that it is ‘final and is not subject of appeal’. The BSDP members consider it as denial in access to justice and are going to appeal against this verdict as well.

18.02.2010 Kirau district: pressurization of activists willing to take part in election campaign

Natallia Haryst manager of the village hall in the village of Siarheyichy, expressed the intention to take part in the election. However, when her bosses found about it, officers of the local culture department came to the village club with a check-up. They asked her what for she needed the elections and whether she knew that she would have to travel much and spend a lot of time. At the departure they promised that from now on there would be more check-ups at work. After this the woman began to doubt whether she should take part in the elections, because she is afraid to lose her job.

18.02.2010 Vitsebsk: Barys Khamaida detained again

On 18 February in Vitsebsk, Barys Khamaida, activist of the Conservative-Christian Party Belarusian Popular Front, was detained for two hours for distribution of the party magazine Belaruskiya Vedamastsi. The official reason for the detention was that the policemen needed to check-up the literary editions and periodicals that were distributed by Mr. Khamaida.

18.02.2010 Baranvichy: human rights defender appeals against decision of executive committee

On 17 February, human rights defender Siarhei Housha, observer of the Belarusian Language Society in the Baranavichy city election commission, lodged a complaint with he Baranavichy prosecutor I.Palyka concerning the determination of the places for agitation by the Baranavichy city executive committee (CEC).

18.02.2010 Salihorsk: one-man race can take place in many constituencies

The Salihorsk district election commission has received 36 applications for registration of initiative groups of pretenders to candidates. Four of them were filed by independent pretenders – Valer Shcherbich, Aliaksei Valabuyeu and the Yaumenenka brothers, Aliaksandr and Viktar.

18.02.2010 Supreme Court didn’t grant claim of Belarusian Christian Democracy

On 18 February, Vital Rymasheuski and Pavel Seviarynets, co-Chairpersons of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party, and Dzianis Sadouski, BCD Senior Secretary, weren’t admitted to the sitting of the Supreme Court at which the verdict on the case BCD v. Justice Ministry was announced.

18.02.2010 Mahiliou: boundaries of election constituencies haven’t been set so far

Andrei Dzvihun, pretender to candidate for the local Soviet of Deputies, chairperson of the Leninski district organization of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party Hramada, lodged a complaint with the Mahiliou oblast election commission.