The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for 15 Nov 2011

15.11.2011 “The honorable guest is unable to attend the Politiken Freedom Prize awarding ceremony”

This was repeated again and again during the ceremony in Copenhagen on 14 November, at which the Danish edition Politiken awarded its Freedom Prize to Ales Bialiatski and the Human Rights Center “Viasna”, headed by him. A poster with a graphic portrait of Ales Bialiatski hung on the wall to symbolize the symbolic presence of the prize-holder.

15.11.2011 Trial on Filip Kirdun’s case to continue at 9 a.m. on 16 November

The trial of Filip Kirdun, charged with the use of obscene language towards police officers, continued today at the Frunzenski District Court of Minsk. Judge Liudmila Lapo agreed to question policemen Aliaksandr Birchanka and Siarhei Dounar, who had taken fingerprints from the defendant. They stated that he had called them “Lukashenka’s lackeys”, and police officer Sviatlana Kunitskaya, who is in charge of the procedure of dactylography in the Frunzenski District Police Department of Minsk, stated that Filip’s parents had paid a visit to the police department on 14 November and threatened to her.

15.11.2011 Babruisk: police warn Alena Toustsik

Alena Toustsik, one of the detained at the commemorative action held on 2 November, has been invited to a meeting with the police during two last days. The woman refused to meet, as her 2.5-year-old child was ill with bronchitis.

15.11.2011 Minsk: imprisonment for People’s Assembly

Aliaksandr Piatnitski was detained after the end of the People’s Assembly held in Minsk on 12 November. He was charged with insubordination to lawful demands of police officers (Article 23.34 of the Code of Administrative Violations) and sentenced to 10 days of arrest.

15.11.2011 Charged in absentia

Civil activists Palina and Pavel Kuryianovichs were mailed copies of the violation reports which had been drawn up in their absence. According to these documents, they are charged under Article 23.34 (violation of the rules of conduct of mass events) on 26 October.

15.11.2011 Yauhen Vaskovich to spend 30 days in penal cell

Yauhen Vaskovich, a member of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party, was sentenced to 7 years of imprisonment for an attempt to set afire the Babruisk KGB office. Since 19 October he has been kept in the penal cell of prison #4 in Mahiliou.

15.11.2011 Journalist Poczobut gets a warning

A Hrodna-based journalist may be sent to prison after three warning during a period of probation of his suspended sentence.

15.11.2011 Report about torture in Belarus heard at UN

Andrei Bandarenka, a former political prisoner, leader of “Platforma”, has addressed the UN Human Rights Committee with a report about tortures in Belarusian prisons.