The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for 4 May 2012

04.05.2012 Vasil Paliakou applies to UN Human Rights Committee concerning his arrest

On 4 May the vice-head o the United Civil Party and chairman of the Homel regional organization of the UCP Vasil Paliakou applied to the UN Human Rights Committee. The politician believes that the Belarusian authorities violated Article 19 and 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (the right to freedom of information and of peaceful assembly) by sentencing him to arrest for organizing the People’s Assembly.

04.05.2012 Human rights defender opposes Roma-phobia

On 3 May the member of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee Maryia Bahdanovich applied to the head of the main ideological bureau of the Homel Regional Executive Committee, Iryna Dauhala.

04.05.2012 Barysau: dyke doesn’t solve the problem of floods

Dwellers of the Barysau suburb Dymki spent four years asking the authorities to save their houses from flooding. The addresses to the Barysau District Executive Committee and the Minsk Regional Executive Committee gave no results. In 2010, on the eve o the presidential election, the people applied to the Presidential Administration.

04.05.2012 Hrodna: cases for refusals from dactylography continue

On 11 April the Leninski District Court of Hrodna tried Uladzimir Fianenka for alleged insubordination to a public agent and refusal from dactylography. Judge Mikalai Siarheika sentenced Mr. Fianenka to pay a fine of 20 basic units. However, the defendant received a copy of the verdict only on 30 April.

04.05.2012 Polatsk: court deprives silent protester of driver’s license

On 4 May the Court of Polatsk and the Polatsk district turned down the appeal of Yury Rudkouski against the ruling of the road police, according to which he was deprived of the right to drive for two years.

04.05.2012 Stefanovich demands that investigative committee bring a criminal case concerning unlawful travel restrictions

On 4 May the deputy head of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” Valiantsin Stefanovich applied to the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Belarus with the demand to bring a criminal case.

04.05.2012 Assembly of NGOs refused from holding its congress

The organizing committee of the Congress of the Belarusian Assembly of NGOs had to cancel the even as it didn't manage to reach an agreement with the International Educational Center (IBB), which refused to lend premises for the 7th congress of the Assembly on 5-6 May.

04.05.2012 Ales Bialiatski's rights to correspodence unlawfully restricted

In the middle of April human rights defender Anastasiya Loika sent two letters of A4 format to Ales Bialiatski, the head of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" who is serving a prison term in corrective colony #2 in Babruisk.

04.05.2012 Police have been looking for the author of "Musorok" poster for a week

Law enforcement bodies have been looking for Ivan Amelchanka, who raised a poster “Musorok” (a play on the words “cop” and “garbage”) near a plainclothes policemen filming the "Chernobyl Way" rally. Policemen wait for him outside his flat every day.

04.05.2012 Hrodna activists want to picket for fair elections without Lukashenka

Five civil and political activists of Hrodna applied for holding pickets "For Fair Elections without Lukashenka" in different parts of the city on 15 May.

04.05.2012 Dzmitry Uss tries to get his initiative group registered

On 1 May former presidential candidate Dzmitry Uss held an outdoor assembly with the aim to establish an initiative group for preparation of the draft law for amending the Electoral Code of Belarus. More than 100 people from different parts of Belarus became members of the group.

04.05.2012 Vitsebsk: Kavalenka's family held a picket

On 3 May Alena Kavalenka, wife of political prisoner Siarhei Kavalenka, and their children Valiantsin and Vika held a picket near "Marco-city" in Lenin Street in Vitsebsk. They stood there for about 20 minutes, holding the poster "Children need the father!".

04.05.2012 “Viasna” writes contemporary history

The 16th anniversary of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” was marked by the presentation of two books: a photo album "For Right to Elect: Portraits of Convicts. Square-2010" and the book of interviews “Our Viasna. History in Faces".

04.05.2012 Martin Uggla denied Belarusian visa again

The chairman of a Swedish human rights initiative Östgruppen Martin Uggla has been denied an entry visa to Belarus.

04.05.2012 Brest: police disperse international anarchist congress

Police detained 11 participants of an international anarchist forum. Anarchists organized an international congress in Brest. Over 150 people from Russia, Ukraine, Poland and Belarus gathered at “Krasny Dvor” recreation centre on the outskirts of Brest.