The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for November 2011

11.11.2011 Vitsebsk: Aliaksandr Kirylau detained and beaten

Aliaksandr Kirylau, Chairman of the Vitsebsk branch of the Belarusian Conservative Party “Belaya Rus”, which is being created by the ex-presidential candidate Siarhei Ryzhou, was detained in the local employment center, where he was registered as an unemployed. He still cannot find a job, though he has a number of qualifications: economist, accountant, insurance agent and hairdresser. Being an orphan, Aliaksandr Kirylau has no means for life.

11.11.2011 Hrodna: it takes court just ten seconds!

That's how much time Mikalai Rachynski, Chairman of the Hrodna Region Court, needed to turn down the appeal of civil activist Ales Masiuk against the verdict of the Slonim District Court according to which he had been sentenced to pay a fine of 175,000 rubles for taking part in the People's Assembly in Slonim on 8 October.

11.11.2011 Homel: Vasil Paliakou goes on hunger-strike

Vasil Paliakou, the head of the organizing committee of People’s Assembly in Homel, has gone on hunger strike in a temporary detention facility in Homel. BelaPAN news agency learnt this from human rights activist Leanid Sudalenka.

11.11.2011 ARTICLE 19, Index on Censorship and English PEN: charges against Bialiatski are politically motivated

ARTICLE 19, Index on Censorship and English PEN consider the charges brought against Ales Bialiatski politically motivated and initiated to paralyse the activities of the already decimated human rights community in Belarus.

11.11.2011 Ales Bialiatski to be given new charges on 16 November

On 10 November the trial of Ales Bialiatski, Chairman of the Human Rights Center “Viasna”, continued at the Pershamaiski District Court of Minsk.

11.11.2011 Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders asked to stop defamation of Ales Bialiatski

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), has received new information and requests your intervention in the following situation in Belarus.

10.11.2011 Persecution of civil activist Mikalai Ulasevich continues

The chairman of the “Dziatko-stroi” enterprise, Andrei Dziadko, filed a lawsuit for protection of honor and dignity, in which he demands to exact 30 million rubles in damages from Mikalai Ulasevich, a leader of the civil campaign” Astravets Nuclear Power Plant Is a Crime”. Mikalai Ulasevich is sure that this is a part of the campaign of persecution for his active campaign against the construction of the Nuclear Power Plant near the town of Varniany in the Astravets district.

10.11.2011 Aliaksandr Krutoi is kept in Zhodzina prison

Aliaksandr Krutoi represented the interests of his daughter, Inesa Krutaya, a victim of the terrorist act of 11 April, at the trial of the alleged terrorists. He was quite active there, and made a number of motions, including the postponement of the trial and the abolishment of the death penalty in Belarus.

10.11.2011 Students of Minsk State Linguistic University summonsed to dean’s office after arrest

The activists of the “European Belarus” Mikita Kavalenka and Aliaksandr Saldatsenka were sentenced to 10 and 7 days of arrest for participation in the action of solidarity with political prisoners held on 25 October.

10.11.2011 Homel: prisoner complains about conditions in pre-trial prison

On 9 November the Tsentralny District Court of Homel turned down the lawsuit of the Homel resident Halina Pratsko who demanded a compensation from the Homel-pretrial prison for moral and physical damages. In her lawsuit the woman stated that she got several diseases, including a nervous system disease, Raynaud's disease, diseases of internal organs, skin, and pediculosis during her stay in prison.

10.11.2011 Valiantsin Stefanovich solicits for postponement of trial

The administrative trial of human rights defender Valiantsin Stefanovich concerning the exaction of unpaid taxes was to have started on 15 November at the Partyzanski District Court of Minsk. However, Valiantsin cannot appear at court that day for family reasons. That’s why he solicited for postponement of the hearings.

10.11.2011 Search at Mikalai Ulasevich’s house

On 9 November police searched the house of Mikalai Ulasevich, an activist of the civil initiative “Astravets Nuclear Power Plant is a Crime”, in the town of Varniany in the Astravets district. The search took place in his absence, at about 4 p.m. They opened the wardrobes and bookcases and shot the rooms on video. They didn’t take away anything and left no official warrants to confirm their right to such actions.

10.11.2011 Masked people try to intimidate Karetnikau in prison

Yury Karetnikau, the Right Alliance leader, was on hunger strike in the remand prison in Akrestsin Street in Minsk for 10 days.

10.11.2011 Zmitser Bandarenka transferred to medical unit

Zmitser Bandarenka, a coordinator of European Belarus civil campaign, has been transferred to the prison medical unit from barracks. His wife Volha Bandarenka had a short telephone talk with him.

10.11.2011 Dzmitry Drozd not allowed to cross the border

Dzmitry Drozd, a former political prisoner and activist of European Belarus civil campaign, has been taken off Minsk-Vilnius train on the Belarusian-Lithuanian border.