The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for July 2013

31.07.2013 Kalinkavichy UCP activist seeks prosecution of local policemen

Dzianis Rabianok, Kalinkavichy activist of the United Civil Party, sent today a statement to the head of Homel regional department of the Investigative Committee with a proposal to give legal assessment to the actions of local policemen and bring them to justice.

31.07.2013 Vitsebsk authorities ban pickets in support of Ales Bialiatski

Vitsebsk executive authorities banned four pickets of solidarity with the imprisoned Viasna leader Ales Bialiatski expected to be held by local human rights defenders Pavel Levinau and Leanid Svetsik. The pickets were scheduled for August 4.

31.07.2013 Belarusian Human Rights House named after Barys Zvozskau

The Vilnius-based Belarusian Human Rights House in exile will bear the name of the prominent human rights defender Barys Zvozskau, after the Lithuanian Registration Center said yesterday that the official name of the institution is now the Barys Zvozskau Belarusian Human Rights House.

30.07.2013 "Volny Horad" accused of libel again

The administration of mobile mechanized column № 280 filed another lawsuit with the Court of Krychau district to once again accuse the newspaper "Volny Horad" of discrediting and undermining the company's reputation.

30.07.2013 Lustration in Belarus: to be or not to be?

The Minsk-based central office of the Belarusian Popular Front hosted yesterday a round table discussion attended by representatives of civil society movements, party leaders and human rights activists to debate on the concept of lustration in the transition from an authoritarian regime to a democracy. The term "lustration" or cleansing of the society is almost unknown for the majority of Belarusians. It caused a lot of questions among more experienced professionals who took part in the discussion.

30.07.2013 Minsk court rejects complaint against Prosecutor General’s Office

Minsk Tsentralny District Court dismissed yesterday a complaint lodged by human rights defender Tamara Siarhei against illegal actions of the Prosecutor General’s Office, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Belarus service reports.

30.07.2013 Catholic Church confirms arrest of priest Uladzislau Lazar

The Embassy of Vatican monitors the situation of the arrested priest.

30.07.2013 Salihorsk human rights defenders ask to inspect detention center

Salihorsk members of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, Leanid Markhotka and Aliaksei Varabyou met with the chief of the district police department Aliaksandr Astreika to discuss the possibility of admission to the town detention center.

29.07.2013 Minsk activists sentenced to short prison terms for displaying white-red-white flags

The Court of Minsk Partyzanski district considered today the cases of three activists of the Alternatyva opposition campaign, Aleh Korban, Zmitser Silchanka and Aleh Keral, who were detained on Friday while displaying the national white-red-white flags on a bridge near the Partyzanskaya metro station.

29.07.2013 Frantskevich's letters not delivered: Prison censor goes on holidays

Friends and relatives do no receive all letters from political prisoner Aliaksandr Frantskevich. Charter97.org learnt it from his mother Tatsiana Frantskevich.

29.07.2013 Homel authorities ban march in support of Ales Bialiatski

The march in support of Ales Bialiatski was banned by Homel executive authorities, since the procession route covers an underground passage and the building of the executive committee.

29.07.2013 Belarusian Popular Front demand that its member be reinstated in his job as traumatic surgeon at Slonim District Hospital

The Soym (council) of the Belarusian Popular Front (BPF), at its meeting held Saturday in Minsk, adopted a statement demanding that BPF member Ivan Sheha be immediately reinstated in his job as traumatic surgeon at the Slonim District Hospital.

29.07.2013 Slonim pro-dem activist forced to resign under pressure from employer

Viktar Marchyk, one of the activists of the United Democratic Forces in Slonim, was dismissed from the local poultry farm back in early April. He was fired for alleged systematic violations of labor discipline.

26.07.2013 Baranavichy: executive committee involved as co-defendant in Milavidy Festival case

The court of the district and the city of Baranavichy opened today the hearing of a claim lodged by an activist of the Movement "For Freedom" Viktar Syrytsa to challenge the actions of the official newspaper of the district executive committee “Nash Krai” ("Our Land"). The lawsuit was considered by Judge Volha Apanovich, which granted Viktar Syrytsa’s motion to administer the trial in the Belarusian language.

26.07.2013 Vitsebsk human rights defenders join campaign of pickets to support Ales Bialiatski

August 4th will mark two years since the arrest of the leader of the human rights center "Viasna" Ales Bialiatski. International human rights organizations recognized the renowned Belarusian human rights defender a prisoner of conscience and have repeatedly called on the authorities of the country to immediately release Ales Bialiatski. His Vitsebsk colleagues decided to hold a series of pickets to mark the sad anniversary.