The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for March 2013

31.03.2013 INVITATION – PRESS CONFERENCE

The Human Rights Center “Viasna” invites media representatives to attend a press conference to be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, April 1, 2013, in Viasna’s new office at 8-26 Miarzhynski Street.

30.03.2013 Bialynichy resident fined 5 mln over libeling manager of state-owned farm

Judge Uladzimir Huz of Bialynichy District Court sentenced yesterday Valery Vusik, resident of the village of Lebiadzianka, to a fine of 5 mln rubles for allegedly defaming manager of the Lebiadzianka state-owned farm Piotr Bialou and for the distribution of the independent newspaper “Mahiliouski Vybar”. The court considered two administrative charges at a time. Both were based on reports by policeman Siarhei Karytkin. Earlier, the court refused to consider the reports, as they were made in violation of Article 10.2 of the Administrative Code. The police reports were sent back for revision in Bialynichy police department, where they were eventually “finalized”.

29.03.2013 Siarhei Kavalenka fined one million rubles

Vitsebsk Pershamaiski District Court sentenced Siarhei Kavalenka, member of the Conservative Christian Party “Belarusian Popular Front”, to a fine of one million rubles based on police reports saying that the former political prisoner was drunk, used “obscene language” and “waved his arms” on March 25. The activist did not admit any of these charges.

29.03.2013 Homel court fines opposition activists

The court of Homel’s Navabelitski district considered today the charges brought against the UCP deputy chairman Vasil Paliakou and civil society activist Uladzimir Shytsikau. Earlier this morning, the pro-democratic activists were summoned to the police department.

29.03.2013 Family of UCP Babruisk leader detained at border

Viktar Buzinayeu, the leader of the Babruisk office of the United Civil Party, was detained, together with his daughter and wife, this morning while crossing the Belarusian border on his way from Kiev to Babruisk. Ukrainian border guards have been no problems, and Belarusian interested in brochures, which lay at the side door of the car.

29.03.2013 Homel opposition activists summoned by police over Freedom Day rally

Vasil Paliakou, deputy chairman of the United Civil Party, received last evening a summons to appear in the police department of Homel’s Navabelitski district “for administrative procedures”.

29.03.2013 Political prisoner Dzyadok thrown into punishment cell for 6 days

Mikalai Dzyadok met with his lawyer in prison in Mahilou on March 28. Radio Svaboda has learnt it from his father Alyaksandr Dzyadok.

28.03.2013 LGBT human rights activist Siarhei Androsenka stripped to shorts at customs control, his passport seized

Siarhei Androsenka, activist of the GayBelarus LGBT human rights movement, was detained at the Hudahai border check point while returning from Vilnius by train. His personal belongings were carefully examined.

28.03.2013 Belarusian NGOs call on Russian authorities to stop harassment of human rights defenders

Representatives of Belarusian NGOs issued a joint statement on the recent facts of persecution of NGOs and human rights defenders in the Russian Federation.

28.03.2013 Tell the Truth activist complains of KGB harassment

Aliaksandr Balobin, an activist of the “Tell the Truth” campaign from the town of Klimavichy, filed today a complaint to the Prosecutor's Office of Mahiliou region to challenge the actions by employees of the KGB’s Krychau interdistrict department who detained and interrogated him on March 27. The activist urges the prosecutor to investigate into the illegal detention by the KGB and threats against him, and to bring those responsible to justice in accordance with the law.

28.03.2013 Zhanna Litvina: I expect from Lithuania the firm and principled standing in all issues of freedom of speech…

A conference “What Belarus should expect from Lithuanian presidency in the EU?” took place on March 26 in the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania. The conference was arranged within the “Belarusian Week in Vilnius” dedicated to the 95th anniversary of the proclamation of the Belarusian People’s Republic.

28.03.2013 Interior Ministry says “No” to Vitsebsk activists

Khrystafor Zhaliapau, head of Vitsebsk regional office of the movement “For Freedom”, received a reply to his complaint filed to the Interior Ministry after facing another ban on holding a mass event imposed by the city’s police department. Meanwhile, according to a decision of the local executive officials, permission to stage a street event can only be obtained with prior agreement of the police.

28.03.2013 Natallya Pinchuk: Paleckis must show his hand

The situation of political prisoners does not and will scarcely change for the better. Natallya Pinchuk, the wife of political prisoner Ales Byalyatski, gave an interview to charter97.org.

28.03.2013 Klimavichy activist escorted to another town to be questioned by KGB

Aliaksandr Balobin, an activist of the “Tell the Truth” campaign from the town of Klimavichy, was detained yesterday morning outside the building of Klimavichy district military conscription commission by two unknown men who introduced themselves as KGB officers. Aliaksandr Balobin was pushed into a car and taken to another town, KGB’s Krychau interdistrict department, where he was interrogated for three hours.

27.03.2013 Trial of Fair World member resumed in Zhlobin

Zhlobin District Court resumed today the trial of a member of the “Fair World” United Leftist Party Yauhen Basareuski. The trial was expected to start yesterday, March 26, but was resumed only today, after a number of witnesses failed to appear in court. The case was heard by Judge Alena Yarmolchyk.