The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for 19 Oct 2012

19.10.2012 Berlin activists say NO to death penalty in Belarus

An action against the death penalty in Belarus was held in Berlin on the World Day against the Death Penalty, 10 October.

19.10.2012 Disloyal worker fired “for health reasons”

Brest regional authorities have made use of a new method of labor discrimination of disloyal workers: locksmith Siarhei Ivanou has been fired “for health reasons” from Brest Chief Specialized Bureau of Complex Climate Equipment Design.

19.10.2012 Orsha: Investigative Committee evades considering election fraud report

Election rigging reports have been redirected “for consideration on the merits” to Orsha town department of internal affairs, says a reply received by independent observers Mikalai Dziamidau and Yauhen Anishchanka from local office of the Investigative Committee.

19.10.2012 BCD campaigns for amending Healthcare Code

The activists of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party have addressed the Council of Ministers, Healthcare Ministry and the House of Representatives with over 2,000 signatures under a petition calling to amend the current Healthcare Code.

19.10.2012 Malaryta prosecutors ignore calls for invalidation of elections

On 1 October, Piotr Andryevich, former member of constituency election commission No. 8 and activist of the Belarusian Popular Front Party, submitted an appeal to the Prosecutor of Malaryta district urging the official to investigate election rigging allegations and recognize the voting results invalid.

19.10.2012 ARCHE Magazine Editor-in-Chief Fined, 5,000 Belarusian-Language Books Seized

Valier Bulhakau, editor-in-chief of Belarusian intellectual magazine ARCHE was fined with Br500,000 by Hrodna court. Furthermore, more than 5,000 books printed in 2000s were seized from his home in the village of Jurkavichy. All the books are printed in Belarusian language.

19.10.2012 “No to the Death Penalty!” in Mahiliou

An awareness-raising action against the death penalty was held in Mahiliou. The event was expected to be held on the eve of the World Day against the Death Penalty, 10 October. However, the volunteers who distributed stickers and posters of the “Human Rights Defenders against the Death Penalty” campaign were detained by the police.

19.10.2012 Ex-candidate harassed over interview to independent website

The law enforcement agencies of Astravets district keep harassing former candidate for Parliament Mikalai Ulasevich, who has already been subjected to arbitrary detention, a search and prosecution under administrative procedures on trumped-up charges.

19.10.2012 Ales Bialiatski faces restrictions on medical parcels

The imprisoned leader of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” Ales Bialiatski is facing obstacles in receiving parcels with medicines at penal colony No. 2 in Babruisk, Radio Racyja reports, quoting the human rights defender’s wife Natallia Pinchuk.

19.10.2012 Opposition activists get financial documents from Poland by regular mail

According to the Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita, Poland's MFA mailed Belarusian opposition activists the documents which concerned taxes for the previously received incomes (there were small sums, the so-called "per diems" received by Belarusians). The documents were sent via express mail with the logo of the Ministry on the envelopes.

19.10.2012 Artist and Mentor Fired as His Art Project Called “Politically-Laden”

Mikhail Hulin, a mentor of Faculty of Architecture in Belarusian National Technical University, was fired from the job after he was detained for implementation of his project on Minsk streets.