The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for December 2012

19.12.2012 U.S. State Department: We remember about political prisoners

At the second anniversary of the protests in Minsk State Department demanded from the Government of Belarus to release political prisoners.

19.12.2012 Two years after: Political prisoners are still behind bars, human rights violated

Human rights defenders describe the human rights situation in 2012 as "consistently poor", just like it was back in 2011. The ongoing suppressing of civil and political rights, administrative and criminal proceedings against the regime's opponents continue.

19.12.2012 BCD activists detained in Vitsebsk, charged with disorderly conduct

Stanislau Laurenau and Aliaksei Kishchuk, activists of the Belarusian Christian Democracy detained in Vitsebsk this morning, are accused of disorderly conduct – "using obscene language in a public place." The detention took place at about 11 am, but the trial of the detainees has not yet taken place. Both the activists were placed in the detention center for at least overnight.

19.12.2012 Mahiliou Court confirms KGB’s supervision over BCD activist

Judge Yurchanka of Mahiliou Leninski District Court dismissed yesterday a complaint lodged by the activist of the organizing committee of the party "Belarusian Christian Democracy" Aleh Aksionau against local KGB department.

19.12.2012 Young Front activist gets warning

Policemen visited Young Front activist Kasya Halitskaya on December 18.

19.12.2012 Young Front activist Mikola Dzemidzenka sentenced to 5 days in prison

Mikola Dzemidzenka, deputy chairman of the Young Front opposition movement, was sentenced yesterday to 5 days of administrative arrest, Nasha Niva newspaper reports.

19.12.2012 Mikalai Ulasevich fined 4 mln

Astravets District Court finished yesterday the consideration of administrative charges brought against Mikalai Ulasevich, civil and political activist of the town of Varniany, Hrodna region. The activist was found guilty and fined 4 million rubles.

18.12.2012 Mikalai Dzemidzenka detained

The possible reason is the anniversary of the post-election protests on December 19.

18.12.2012 Prisoner Mikalay Statkevich Does Not Receive “Novy Chas” Newspaper

The editorial office of the newspaper Novy Chas (New Times) struggles for the right of the political prisoner to get the independent newspaper.

18.12.2012 Hrodna human rights defenders face administrative charges

Hrodna human rights defenders Viktar Sazonau, Uladzimir Khilmanovich and Raman Yurhel have been charged with illegal picketing on the Human Rights Day, 10 December, after they were summoned to Leninski District police department to provide explanations on their involvement in the event.

18.12.2012 Mahiliou police unwilling to admit mistakes

Mr. Baleika, head of the police department of Mahiliou regional executive committee, says that the publication on the department’s website does not contain any defamatory data and there are reasons for refuting it, instead of apologizing for a shameful article about human rights defender Barys Bukhel.

18.12.2012 Two years on and the grip tightens on basic freedoms in Belarus

On 19 December 2010, following a presidential poll during which Alyaksandr Lukashenka was elected for a fourth term as President of Belarus, 30,000 protesters gathered in central Minsk to demand a second round of elections.

18.12.2012 Dashkevich and Lobau: Two years behind bars

The Young Front leader was to be released from prison today.

18.12.2012 Aleh Alkayew insists that there exists video of execution of Yury Zakharanka

Aleh Alkayew, the former warden of a death row prison in Minsk who was granted political asylum in Germany in 2001, has said in an interview with Deutsche Welle that there is a video of Yury Zakharanka being executed, and that an objective of his recent secret visit to Belarus was to obtain the video, BelaPAN said.

18.12.2012 Slonim: Unequal opportunities for mass media

Members of the Slonim-based Society of Pro-Democratic Forces have launched a campaign to collect petitions demanding equal opportunities for local newspapers.