The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for 9 Jan 2012

09.01.2012 Invitation to presentation in Vilnius

At 2 p.m. on 16 January the Belarusian Human Rights House in exile (Vilnius, Lithuania), the Human Rights Center “Viasna” (Belarus) and the civil campaign “Our House” (Belarus) hold the presentation of a book, a calendar, a postcard and a number of short videos, dedicated to participants of Square-2010, peaceful post-election protest action held on 19 December 2010 in the center of Minsk to protest against the rigged presidential election in Belarus.

09.01.2012 “Young Front” states about new intimidation campaign

On 9 January members of the civil movement “Young Front”, registered in Czech, held a press-conference in Minsk to express their concern with the new intimidation campaign, launched by KGB.

09.01.2012 Penal colony doesn’t accept medicines for Statkevich

The wife of the political prisoner visited the penitentiary in Shklou on 9 January.

09.01.2012 Attempt to crack UCP website

The website of the United Civil Party was inaccessible for several hours in the morning of 9 January.

09.01.2012 Hrodna: they returned the car, not newspapers

Siarhei Trafimchyk, head of the Hrodna Region Council of the movement “For Freedom” was returned the equipment that had been taken away by police on 7 October 2011.

09.01.2012 Ex-political prisoner Ales Kirkevich is required to pay fine for electoral meeting

On 6 January court marshals paid an unexpected visit to Ales's apartment. They demanded that he paid a fine to which he had been sentenced last year for holding an electoral meeting of Hrodna residents with presidential candidate Mikalai Statkevich. After the meeting Kirkevich and some more Hrodna activists had been sentenced to pay fines of 700,000 rubles for participation in “unauthorized rally”.

09.01.2012 Head of Vitsebsk branch of the “BPF Youth” summonsed to the economic crimes department

Aliaksandr Kuzniatsou, head of the Vitsebsk branch of the BPF Youth (youth wing of the Belarusian Popular Front Party) received a summons to the 9th bureau of the economic crimes department of the Vitsebsk region.

09.01.2012 Minsk: journalist imprisoned for elucidation of picket near KGB goes on hunger-strike

On 8 January guards of the Minsk KGB office detained an activist of the “European Belarus”, Mikita Kavalenka, and journalist Aliaksandr Barazenka. The action lasted for about a minute: Kavalenka unfurled white-red-white flags and portraits of political prisoners, while Barazenka shot it on video.

09.01.2012 Pavel Seviarynets is banned to maintain correspondence with Yauhen Vaskovich

Co-chair of the steering committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party Pavel Seviarynets, who is currently serving a personal restraint term, was banned to maintain mail correspondence with a BCD activist Yauhen Vaskovich, sentenced to 7 years of imprisonment for an attempt to set fire to the Babruisk KGB office in the night of 16-17 October 2010.

09.01.2012 Baranavichjy:Mikalai Charnavus summonsed to police

On 8 January police major Vital Dabrachynski passed a summons to the Baranavichy entrepreneur Mikalai Charnavus. According to the document, Mr. Charnavus is summonsed to room #106 of the Baranavichy City Police Department as a figurant of administrative proceedings.

09.01.2012 Ex-political prisoner Siarhei Kazakou summonsed to surveillance inspection

Former political prisoner Siarhei Kazakou received a summons obliging him to appear for a conversation with an inspector at 10 am on the address Rokossovski Str 38a.