The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for 14 Feb 2011

14.02.2011 Human rights defender Ales Bialiatski summonsed for a ‘talk’

On 14 February afternoon the Chairperson of the Human Rights Center Viasna Ales Bialiatski received a telephone call from a man who introduced himself as Pavel Yeliseyeu, Deputy Chairperson of the department of supervision over the respect to rights and freedoms of citizens of the General Procuracy of the Republic of Belarus.

14.02.2011 Sleep deprivation torture in Valadarski Street jail

Cell #69 houses 13 persons, whereas usually 22-24 inmates are kept there at once. As a result, they have to sleep in turn. However, the people who get in the cell aren't included in the 'sleeping queue' for the first two days.

14.02.2011 Young Front activists didn't reach KGB

The Young Front members who wanted to congratulate their imprisoned comrades on St. Valentine's Day were detained on the way to the main KGB office in Minsk. Among the detainees there was the Deputy Chairperson of the Young Front, Mikalai Dzemidzenka, who was carrying large red heard-shaped postcards.

14.02.2011 Hrodna: detention of youth activists

Young activists Veranika Lemianouskaya and Nadzeya Krapivina were detained at night in Hrodna, allegedly for posting leaflets.

14.02.2011 Activist of Belarusian Christian Democracy Vadzim Kabanchuk detained on the border

Former political prisoner Vadzim Kabanchuk, an activist of the Belarusian Christian Democracy and electioneering agent of Vital Rymasheuski, was detained on 13 February evening, while returning from Lithuania. The customs officers examined his belongings and found some newspapers. They were dissatisfied with their content and therefore detained him for more than 4 hours. They they called the police. As a result, Kabanchuk was guarded to the Ashmiany District Police Department, where a report for 'insubordination to customs officers' was drawn up. The police also tried to make Vadzim sign this document. The case was passed to court. The results of the trial will be known later.

14.02.2011 Endless interrogations

On 14 February an investigator of the military counter-intelligence phoned to a human rights activist Nasta Loika. He refused to introduce himself and said that he could show his ID during their meeting. He tried to invite her for a 'talk'. However, Nasta answered that she refused to come to him without receiving an official writ. After this the investigator tried to specify her address, she asked that the investigation had all possibilities to find it on their own. After this the counter-intelligence officer promised to soon her a writ soon.

14.02.2011 Final HRD Monitoring Report on Presidential Election in Belarus

“Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections” campaign presents its final monitoring report on the 2010 presidential election in Belarus. The report gives the campaign's overall conclusions on the election, provides comprehensive analysis of the voting and counting stages and includes recommendations on how the election process could be brought in line with international standards.