The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for December 2012

29.12.2012 Ales Bialiatski: "This international support is a message to all Belarusians"

The fact that the political prisoner remains in Babruisk-based penal colony is confirmed by the letters he continues sending – of 18th, 20th, 24th December. Ales says that almost all of his free time is occupied by letters. Letters and postcards with words of support coming in large numbers – sometimes more than a hundred of them comes in just a day.

29.12.2012 Anton Surapin’s Dream

The new film in the series "The Chronicle of Judgment Time" is about the repressed reporter-photographer Anton Surapin.

28.12.2012 Center for Strategic Litigation submits 29 communications to UN Human Rights Committee within a year

Since the beginning of 2012, the Homel-based Center for Strategic Litigation NGO has initiated 28 new strategic lawsuits and submitted 29 communications to the UN Human Rights Committee, 10 of which have already been registered. During 2012, the Committee adopted four decisions on the complaints prepared by the Center, which found violations of certain rights of Belarusian citizens.

28.12.2012 Rahachou activist receives warning over contributing to independent website

Dzianis Dashkevich, pro-democratic activist from the town of Rahachou, received today an official warning about the inadmissibility of violation of the legislation of the Republic of Belarus.

28.12.2012 Homel military prosecutor replies on foreign travel black list

Uladzimir Siakerka, Chairman of Homel regional office of the United Left Party "Fair World", received a reply to his appeal to local military prosecutor. The politician urged the prosecutor to explain who, when, and why added him to a black list, which resulted in certain problems while crossing the border.

28.12.2012 Rahachou activist summoned to Prosecutor’s Office

Dzianis Dashkevich, pro-democratic activist from the town of Rahachou, has been summoned to local Prosecutor’s Office over his critical statements at the www.vrogacheve.ru independent website.

27.12.2012 New suspect in “spy” case

A witness in the spy case, Illya Bahdanau, has received the suspect status.

27.12.2012 Andrei Haidukou transferred to Minsk again

Andrei Haidukou, Navapolatsk activist accused of treason, left the pre-trial prison in Vitsebsk on 22 December. Neither the fact of the transfer nor the reasons for it was reported to the media: the lawyer learned about it when she went to meet her client.

27.12.2012 Minsk court fines entrepreneur Aliaksandr Makayeu

The Court of Minsk Maskouski District considered on December 27 the administrative charges brought against businessman Aliaksandr Makayeu. He was charged under Article 23.34, Para. 3 (“participation in an unauthorized mass event, repeated throughout the year”). The case was heard by Judge Yauhen Khatkevich.

27.12.2012 Young Front leaders Zmitser Dashkevich and Nasta Palazhanka get married in prison

Zmitser Dashkevich and Anastasiya (Nasta) Palazhanka, leaders of an opposition youth group called Malady Front, got married in Prison No. 1 in Hrodna on December 26.

27.12.2012 Liabedzka called to police station by fax

The chairman of the UCP Anatol Liabedzka was called out to the Soviet district’s police department on 27 December as a person, against who “an administrative case” is being pled.

27.12.2012 “Three Poems by Politician Niakliayeu” (video)

A new film in a series "The Chronicle of Judgment Time" has appeared on the Internet. The video tells the story of the repressed leader of the campaign "Tell the Truth", poet Uladzimir Niakliayeu.

26.12.2012 Vasil Parfiankou appeals parole denial

An appeal has been submitted on behalf of political prisoner Vasil Parfiankou to challenge a decision to deny his early release request reportedly taken on 13 December at the Baranavichy-based arrest house No. 6.

26.12.2012 Political prisoner Aliaksandr Frantskevich in solitary confinement for third time this year

Tatsiana Frantskevich, mother of the imprisoned anarchist, is going to Ivatsevichy colony together with a lawyer to learn about her son’s health. Aliaksandr Frantskevich has only one kidney, and his mother is afraid that being held in a punishment cell could harm his physical condition.

25.12.2012 Vasil Parfiankou: "In Search of Freedom" (video)

A new film in the series "The Chronicle of Judgment Time" appeared on the Internet. The video entitled "In Search of Freedom" is dedicated to political prisoner Vasil Parfiankou, who is currently serving a sentence in the Western city of Baranavichy.