The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for November 2012

30.11.2012 Website about political prisoners and their persecutors presented in Minsk

On 29 November another human rights initiative, the informational resource about the political prisoners of Belarus starting from 1989 – palitviazni.info – was presented in Belarus.

30.11.2012 Antifascist detained short before the “Slavonic March” in Mahiliou

A civil activist was detained in the center of Mahiliou why posting DIY antifa leaflets (in the photo) opposing neo-Nazism and Russian imperialism.

30.11.2012 Action in support of the freedoms of expression and assembly held in Pinsk

The local activists of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Party held an action in support of the freedoms of expression and assembly near the central market of Pinsk on 29 November.

30.11.2012 Baranavichy: provocation against the trade-union activist Aliaksandr Vaitseshyk

On 28 November the activist filed a written appeal to Dzmitry Huminski, the head of the construction technical company where he worked as an accountant. He wrote about having come to work on 28 November and found his desk drawers empty and documents disappeared. As it was figured out later, someone had unauthorized access to his computer. Aliaksandr Vaitseshyk asks the director to look into the situation and take proper measures.

30.11.2012 Former political prisoner Uladzimir Yaromenak questioned over attack on the Lithuanian Embassy

Uladzimir Yaromenak was forcefully taken to the Partyzanski District Police Department to give explanations regarding the incident.

30.11.2012 Hillary Clinton calls on the Belarusian authorities to release political prisoners

The United States Secretary of State criticized the authorities in Ukraine and Belarus and welcomed the elections in Georgia. Her speech at the Brookings Institution on Thursday was devoted to relations between the US and Europe, RIA “Novosti” reports.

30.11.2012 Police terrorize beaten watchman

Vasil Sarochyk, who recently said about beating in the Leninski District Police Department, has faced pressure from police.

30.11.2012 Political prisoner Statkevich doesn't receive books

The political prisoner wrote it in a letter to his wife. He writes he knows that his friends made numerous attempts to send books to him. Unfortunately, he cannot receive them. He asks to send them to his wife so that she could keep them as a sign of solidarity, statkevich.org infroms. Mikalai Statekvich wrote about physical health and an opportunity to see the sun.

29.11.2012 Dangerous precedent in Mahiliou – Aliaksei Paulouski not employed because of the “disagreement of the staff”

On 27 November the judge of the Leninski District Court of Mahiliou Yuliya Trapynina turned down the lawsuit of the activist of the Independent Trade Union of Radio-Electronic Industry Aliaksei Paulouski, thus denying the fact of adverse discrimination during his attempts to get employed.

29.11.2012 Political prisoner Aliaksandr Frantskevich put into penal cell

This information was received from his mother, Tatsiana Frantskevich. She knows neither what he has been punished for nor for what term he has been put in the penal cell.

29.11.2012 Protest in Mahiliou: multi-stored houses instead of a birch grove

Dwellers of the Yubileynu suburb of Mahiliou stand against the cut-down of a birch grove and construction of multi-stored building in its place.

29.11.2012 Another linguistic expertise appointed over Andrei Pachobut's writings

The journalist of “Gazeta Wyborcza” was called out to an investigator. Andrei Pachobut told the charter97.org about that himself. He is now under an investigation on the case about the insult of Lukashenka

29.11.2012 Have charges to Haidukou been changed?

The arrested civil activist is being transferred from Minsk to Vitsebsk. Andrei Haidukou's mother received this information from a lawyer, RFE/RL reports.

28.11.2012 Human rights defender Tatsiana Reviaka gets questioned concerning the receipt of finances from Ales Bialiatski

The tax agencies use new ways to pressurize the member of the Council of the Human Rights Center “Viasna”, the president of the Belarusian Human Rights House Tatsiana Reviaka.

28.11.2012 How “Viasna” was evicted (video)

On 26 November bailiffs confiscated the assets and sealed the premises of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” where legal aid to repressed citizens had been conducted, trainings, meeting, seminars and press conference on human rights violations had been conducted for the 12 last years.