The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for 13 Jun 2013

13.06.2013 Belarus : refusal to cooperate triggers renewal of the mandate by the UN Human rights Council

Today (13 June 2013), the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) adopted a resolution renewing the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus and expressing deep concern at continuing violations of human rights in the country.

13.06.2013 Pavel Levinau demands change of restraint for Haidukou

Vitsebsk human rights activist addressed such a request to a judge of the Vitsensk Regional Court Halina Urbanovich, who leads the trial on the "espionage case". Pavel Levinau also filed a complaint to the Investigative Committee and applied to the head of the Vitsebsk Regional Court Miakali Khamichonak concerning the noticed violations.

13.06.2013 Vitsebsk activists lose their case and fail to get to trial over Haidukou

A member of the Conservative Christian Party BPF Yan Dzyarzhautsau and the head of the Vitebsk branch of the BPF Leanid Avtukhou came to the Vitsebsk Regional Court where their appeals against verdicts of lower courts. They weren't allowed to the second floor where the second hearing on the criminal case against civic activist Andrei Haidukou was about to begin. The cassation appeals were considered for just 15 minutes. Judge Iryna Smaliakova stated that the appeals were to be dismissed.

13.06.2013 Charges given to organizer of Milavidy Feast

On 12 June a civil activist from Baranavichy Viktary Syrytsa was officially summonsed to the Baranavichy District Police Department as one of the organizers of the Milavidy festival in honor of the 150th anniversary of the uprising of 1863.

13.06.2013 Vitsebsk: second day of trial of "spy" Haidukou

According to the information from the Vitsebsk Regional Court, where the hearings on the criminal case against Andrei Haidukou are taking place, the defendant is kept in a cage. "It can be a gross violation of his right to defense, as keeping him in a cage can hinder him to contact with his counsel during the trial", stated the Vitsebsk human rights defender Pavel Levinau.

13.06.2013 Mandate of UN Special Rapporteur on Belarus Miklos Haraszti extended for one year

On 13 June, during the 23rd session of the UN Human Rights Council held in Geneva, the voting on the extension of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on Belarus took place. The delegations of 26 countries voted for the resolution containing the proposal to extend the mandate of Miklos Haraszti, opposed by 3, 18 delegations abstained from voting.

13.06.2013 New death verdict issued in Hrodna

On 5 August 2012 a brutal double murder took place in Hrodna on 5 August 2012. A Vileika resident, born in 1990, killed his wife, a resident of Zhlobin and a friend of hers out of jealosy in a hostel apartment. He dismembered the corpse of the man and threw it in the trash bin, except for the head, which he took in the bag with him. He was detained with the head by the police in a train in Vaukavysk.

13.06.2013 Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in May 2013

In May, there was no positive development in the human rights situation in Belarus, which remained consistently bad. The absence of real mechanisms of influence on this sphere inside the country and its strong dependence on foreign factors created a situation where the greatest expectations were associated with external influences, especially concerning the release of political prisoners. However, intensive contacts of the Belarusian authorities with the European Union, its institutions and individual countries as well as with the United States didn't bring perceptible results in this direction.

13.06.2013 Mikalai Ulasevich files sixth complaint to Supreme Court

Civil activist from the Astravets district Mikalai Ulasevich filed the sixth appeal to the Office of Prosecutor General of the Republic of Belarus. All previous tappeals were returned to him without consideration on the merits. Mr. Ulasevich also attached to his appeal the 30-page complaint which was also filed to the Supreme Court of the Republic of Belarus.

13.06.2013 Head of disgraced "Union of Poles in Belarus" to stand trial

One more member of the unregistered "Union of Poles in Belarus", its chairman Mechyslau Yaskevich will soon be summoned to court as a defendant in administrative proceedings. The Shchychyn police forwarded to Hrodna a copy of the charges, given to Yaskevich for an alleged adminsitrative offense – holding an unsanctioned rally.

13.06.2013 Review of criminal case against member of "Fair World" starts at Zhlobin District Court

On 7 December 2012 Judge of the Zhlobin District Court Ina Sharshniova found a member of the Belarusian Leftist Party "Fair World" Yauhen Sharshniou to three years of imprisonment with a two-year determent, and his colleague Valiantsina Kastsiukevich – to four years of persona; restraint without sending to an open penitentiary. The defendants appealed the verdict at the Homel Regional Court, after which the case was returned for review. Basareuski and Kastsiukevich are charged under Article 424 of the Criminal Code ("abuse of power or office position").