The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for 9 Mar 2011

09.03.2011 Member of International Observation Mission denied entry to Belarus

Today, on 9 March 2011 at 3:20 am, while crossing the border by train Kyiv - Minsk, the assistant to the Representative of the International Observation Mission of the Committee on International Control over the Situation with Human Rights in Belarus, member of the “Foundation for Regional Initiatives” (organization – participant of the Committee), citizen of the Ukraine Maxim Kitsyuk was denied entry to the territory of the Republic of Belarus.

09.03.2011 Navahradak: Christian democrats are summonsed to KGB

The activists of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Yury Kazak and Uladzimir Kachahur received summons. KGB officers also wanted to hand writs to Daryia Bakhar (but she wasn’t at work at the time of their visit), and to Siarhei Vauchok (he wasn’t at home).

09.03.2011 KGB refuses to return computer equipment to Nasha Niva

The editorial board of the socio-political newspaper Nasha Niva received an answer from the Minsk and Minsk Region KGB Department to its request to return the computer equipment that had been confiscated following the protest actions of the 19-20 December in central Minsk.

09.03.2011 Trial of observer of Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections scheduled for 10 March

Kastus Shytal, a civil activist from the town of Hlybokaye, a correspondent with the internet edition westki.info, received a summons to the Hlybokaye District Court for 10 March. He had been an observer of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee during the latest presidential election.

09.03.2011 Gabriela Knaul, UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, was informed about persecution of counsel Sapelka

On 4 March a new report of harassment of lawyers in Belarus was submitted to Gabriela Knaul, the UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers.

09.03.2011 Participant of 19 December demonstration expelled from Belarusian State University

On 19 December Ales Lukashou, a student of the physical faculty of the Belarusian State University, went to the Kastrychnitskaya Square in the same column with the presidential candidate Uladzimir Niakliayeu and witnessed his beating.

09.03.2011 Expulsion of counsel Pavel Sapelka from the Minsk City Bar Association: opinions of human rights defenders

'It is an unprecedented case of pressurization of counsels. I think that reprisals are used against independent lawyers on any grounds. Actually, an end is put to the independent advocacy by this. The case of Pavel Sapelka is a clear signal to all other counsels who take part in the case concerning the events of 19 December and other politically motivated cases, and in any cases in general. It is a warning to all counsels of the country. All trials concerning the events of 19 December become a complete fiction since then. They turn into a tragic show organized by the authorities to lynch their opponents.