The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for September 2010

10.09.2010 Activists of 'Speak Truth' deatined at hockey match

As told to the European Radio for Belarus by the press-secretary of the civil campaign Speak Truth, Yuliya Rymasheuskaya, 12 activists of the campaign were detained at the yesterday’s hockey match between the Minsk Dynama and the Russian Torpedo (from Nizhniy Novgorod). The detainees were guarded to the Tsentralny District Police Department. This time, the police acted more violently than during the detention of participants of the football match between Romania and Belarus. The people were forced to take off the T-shirts with the Speak Truth logo. Police officers tore off the T-shirts from those who didn’t obey this order.

09.09.2010 New circumstances of Cameroonian Football Player Guy Toukam’s case

Several weeks ago 28-year-old Guy François Toukam who had been detained in Belarus for 44 days on accusation in forgery of the passport received an answer from Belarusian officials, from which it follows that he had allegedly refused from services of a counsel, that he had been provided with a interpreter from the very beginning and he hag even confessed that his passport had been forged!

09.09.2010 Detentions for pillow fight

The attempt to hold a pillow fight that hadn’t been permitted by the Minsk authorities ended with mass detentions. The action was dated to the 496th anniversary of the Battle of Orsha, which is celebrated by the Belarusian Military Glory Day by the opposition circles.

09.09.2010 Anarchists get released and arrested again

At first 7 activists of the Belarusian anarchist movement were detained for three days, allegedly on suspicion in involvement with the attempt to set the Russian Embassy in Minsk on fire with the use of Molotov cocktail on 3 September. Then they were detained within the frames of a criminal case related to the Palace of Trade Unions.

09.09.2010 Aleh Biabenin’s friend tells about circumstances surrounding his death

A friend of Aleh Biabenin. the editor of the web site Electroname.com writes about what was happening on the day of the tragedy and the days before it.

08.09.2010 Detention of five ‘Young Front’ activists near Russian Embassy

The Young Front members Ihar Aliakseyeu, Eduard Lobau, Ales Stasiuk, Vadzim Petryk and Dzmitry Yasevich were detained near the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Minsk in order to pass an address on the occasion of the Day of the Belarusian Military Glory (that is not recognized by the Belarusian authorities).

08.09.2010 11 persons remain in custody on suspicion in relation to incident in Russian Embassy

On 8 September, the KGB detained the civil activist Tatsiana Semianishchava. According to her mother, the KGB officers stated they had found some information at the hard drive they had confiscated from the activist before. There is still no further information about the reasons behind the arrest. Bear in mind that Tatsiana was taken for an interrogation yesterday, on 7 September.

08.09.2010 Ihar Chapiha placed to delinquents’ isolation center in Akrestsin Street

On 8 September the police searched the apartment of the activist of the Right Alliance Ihar Chapiha and seized his computer and other belongings. The activist was arrested and placed to the prison in Akrestsin Street.

08.09.2010 Two Kobryn entrepreneurs allege being beaten by KGB officer

The Kobryn entrepreneurs Andrei Fedasiuk and Viachaslau Kuryshka applied to the Brest law enforcement officers for assistance.

08.09.2010 Number of arrests for arsons grows

The ecological activist Uladzimir Valodzin was arrested in Minsk. On 8 September policemen of the Savetski District Police Department searched his flat, confiscated a computer hard drive and leaflets. As stated to the Legal Assistance to Population by his relatives, Uladzimir is suspected in the engagement with the arson of a branch of Belarusbank in Minsk on 30 April 2010.

08.09.2010 Future death convicts?

The Mahiliou Region Court announced a break till 14 September in the trial of Ihar Mialikau and Aliaksandr Sychou who had committed a number of violent crimes on the territory of the Mahiliou region operating in a gang. They can be punished with death. The head of the gang, the founder of the Belarusian republican civil association of jujitsu and self-defense, escaped the trial as he had suddenly died several months ago.

08.09.2010 Siarhei Papou arrested at night

This night the police detained an adherent of the unregistered Belarusian Freedom Party, Siarhei Papou. He was taken away from his own apartment and the reasons for the detention weren't explained. The apartment was searched. Most probably, it is connected with the recent attack on the Russian Embassy, during which Molotov cocktails were used, as a result of which a car was set on fire.

08.09.2010 About 50 oppositionists arrested before match Romania-Belarus

About 50 activists of the Speak Truth campaign were arrested by the police in Minsk at the Minsk stadium Dinamo. Those who came to the stadium were told to unfasten their coats. Those who were wearing T-shirts with the inscription Speak Truth (about 50 people) were detained. The civil activists Yury Aleinik, Dzianis Kobruseu, Aleh Miatselitsa and about 40 other detainees were taken first to the police room of the stadium and then guarded to police station #1.

08.09.2010 Discrepancies around Aleh Biabenin's death

Friends and colleagues indicate at the details that contradict the official version.The prosecutor’s office has already announced the official version about a suicide, but they assure it is not a final conclusion.