The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for January 2012

16.01.2012 Minsk police detain volunteers

On 15 January, Minsk police detained volunteers of a charitable campaign who distributed free food to the homeless outside the Uskhod metro station.

16.01.2012 Baranavichy prosecutor’s office upholds warning to local activist

On 14 January, Baranavichy civil activist Ryhor Hryk received a reply to his appeal from the regional prosecutor’s office upholding an official warning issued to the activist for involvement in the People’s Assembly held on 8 October.

16.01.2012 Baranavichy authorities ban picket and meeting

Baranavichy city executive committee has issued two bans on a picket (25 January) and a meeting (19 January) applied for by local pro-democratic activist Mikalai Charnavus.

16.01.2012 Fair World Brest office keeps fighting for registration

Brest city office of the Belarusian Leftist Party Fair World has submitted another bid for state registration after the party’s activists received a communication from the city’s executive committee saying that the issue was under the administration’s control.

16.01.2012 Mikola Statkevich is in Mahilyou prison

Mikola Statkevich, who was sentenced to 3 years in closed prison with a reinforced regime on January 12, 2012, is already in Nr 4 prison in Mahilyou.

15.01.2012 Three young opposition activists arrested in Minsk

Three members of an opposition youth organization called Malady (Young) Front were arrested in Minsk on Saturday.

13.01.2012 Vitsebsk: political prisoner Siarhei Kavalenka fined 140,000 rubles

The Pershamaiski District Court of Vitsebsk finished the proceedings on an administrative case against political prisoner Siarhei Kavalenka. Judge Volha Ivanova fined him for alleged swearing at officers of the penal inspection.

13.01.2012 Political prisoner Vaskovich put into penal cell again

Activist of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Yauhen Vaskovich got ten days in a punishment cell.

13.01.2012 Political prisoner Sannikau not allowed to meet with his lawyer again

The treatment of the political prisoner becomes more and more cruel.

13.01.2012 Baranavichy: Mikalai Charnavus asks prosecutor to annul results of re-election to council of central market

On 12 January entrepreneur Mikalai Charnavus applied to the Baranavichy District Procuracy with the request to find unlawful the re-election to the council of the central market of Baranavichy, held on 29 December 2011, and punish those who held it.

13.01.2012 Brest: regional court turns down Viktar Chaikouski's appeal

Viktar Chaikouski, electioneering agent of presidential candidate Mikalai Statkevich during the election of 2010, appealed against the verdict of the Leninski District Court of Brest, which ruled that the case against him was to be dropped because of the end of the term of penalty execution.

13.01.2012 Brest: court finds nothing wrong with picket bans

The Brest Regional Court confirmed the ruling of the Leninski District Court of Brest concerning the ban of a series of pickets under the slogan “Freedom to Political Prisoners!” by the Brest City Executive Committee in autumn 2011.

13.01.2012 Baranavichy: authorities minimize cooperation with “Intex-press”

In the beginning of 2012 the private newspaper “Intex-press” issued in Baranavichy, faced unexpected troubles. In particular, at present only its chief editor, Uladzimir Yanukevich, can attend sittings of the Baranavichy City Executive Committee as an accredited journalist, whereas earlier any journalist of the newspaper could come there.

13.01.2012 Mahiliou: administration intimidates workers of Paulau's brigade

When workers of the brigade where Aliaksei Paulouski works learned that the administration of the “Pramzhylbud” firm had refused to extend his labor contract, they wrote applications for resigning from work to express their solidarity with him.

13.01.2012 Activist of “United Russia” detained for action of solidarity with Kavalenka

Pyotr Ivanov, a citizen of the Russian Federation, was detained for handing out leaflets calling to support an imprisoned oppositionist from Vitsebsk in court.