The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for 1 Nov 2011

01.11.2011 Presence of foreign human rights defenders is undesirable at the trial of Bialiatski

In many countries the Belarusian Embassies refuse to issue visas to representatives of human rights and international organizations who want to attend the consideration of the criminal case of Ales Bialiatski, Chairman of the Human Rights Center “Viasna”.

01.11.2011 Human Rights Watch: Drop charges against Ales Bialiatski

The international human rights organization "Human Rights Watch" urges the Belarusian authorities to drop charges against the Chairman of the Human Rights Center "Viasna".

01.11.2011 Wives of political prisoners state about increased pressurization of their husbands

Iryna Khalip stated that the pressurization of her husband, ex-presidential candidate Andrei Sannikau, increased. “The regime won't stop at his liquidation”, she said. According to her, a man ill with tuberculosis was put in the same cell with Sannikau. He was also deprived of the opportunity to have a tete-a-tete meeting with his counsel. In addition, he was threatened with sending to another colony if the media continued writing about him. The authorities are trying to make Andrei Sannikau write an appeal for pardon.

01.11.2011 Babruisk: police warn local activists

In the evening of 31 October a police inspector paid a visit to Yury Hryniavetski, the leader of the Babruisk social democrats. He warned the activist against participation in unauthorized mass events, handing out printed editions without imprint, etc.

01.11.2011 Fact-sheet on criminal case of Ales Bialiatski

The trial of human rights defender Ales Bialiatski will start at 10 a.m. on 2 November at the Pershamaiski District Court of Minsk (Prauda Avenuem, 27) and will be led by Judge Siarhei Bandarenka.

01.11.2011 Authorities refuse to register Brest branch of “For Freedom”

As said by Zmitser Tratsiak, coordinator of the movement “For Freedom” in the Brest region, an appropriate application was submitted to the main justice department of the Brest Region Executive Committee.

01.11.2011 Mahiliou: authorities looking for signature sheets in support of People's Assembly

On 1 November Uladzimir Shantsau, an organizer of the People's Assembly in Mahiliou, was summonsed to the main justice department of the Mahiliou Region Executive Committee. Kantstantsin Krupenkin, Deputy Chairman of the justice department, demanded that Shantsau presented the lists of signers for the People's Assembly in Mahiliou.

01.11.2011 Police inspector looking for Aksana Samuilava

On 1 November morning Aksana Samuilava, coordinator of “Tell the Truth!” civil movement in the Mahiliou region, received a call from a man who introduced himself as the local police inspector. He said he wanted to meet with her, but she refused as she was absent at her place of residence at the time. The police inspector phoned her once again at about 1 p.m. and told her he needed to pass her a writ to court, and in the case of refusal to meet with him she could be taken to the court forcefully.

01.11.2011 Brest: picket bans are appealed at court

Viktar Chaikouski, Deputy Chairman of the national public association “Perspective”, applied to the Brest City Executive Committee for the authorization of a series of pickets aimed at turning public attention to the use of articles of the Criminal Code by the authorities with the aim to neutralize civil and public activists. The actions were to be held in different parts of the city under the slogans “Freedom to political prisoners! Stop torture and harassment!”

01.11.2011 Baranavichy: entrepreneur is not allowed to hold a bicycle rally and foot-race

As it follows from letter #749 of 28 October 2011, signed by A. Filanchuk, Deputy Chairman of the Baranavichy City Executive Committee, the authorities don't let entrepreneur Mikalai Charnavus to hold a foot-race in the village of Vialikaya Kaupenitsa.

01.11.2011 Zhlobin: Valery Rybchanka sentenced to 14 days of arrest

Valery Rybchanka, chairman of the Zhlobin branch of the Belarusian Leftist Party “Fair World”, coordinator of the organizing committee of the People's Assembly in Zhobin, was sentenced to 14 days of arrest on 31 October by Mikalai Bakunou, Judge of the Zhlobin District Court.