The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for 9 Dec 2013

09.12.2013 Dismissed activist of the independent trade union to receive 1 million rubles as a compensation

Luninets District Court partially granted the claim of Leanid Dubanosau who was fired from the enterprise in Mikashevichy.

09.12.2013 Ihar Pastnou applies to the Supreme Court

Vitsebsk medic attempts to challenge the decision of the Vitsebsk District Court, which sanctioned his compulsory psychiatric treatment in the absence of Mr. Pastnou and his lawyer. The appeals to the regional court and to the head of the regional court yielded no results.

09.12.2013 Not a minute for human rights in Vitsebsk

Human rights activist Pavel Levinau was prohibited to hold pickets on Human Rights Day, 10 December. He filed applications for the authorization of one-minute actions, but the district authorities rejected his applications.

09.12.2013 Bialynichy activists started marking the Human Rights Day by distributing texts of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

On the eve of Human Rights Day civil activists of the town of Bialynichy started distributing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights among the local dwellers.

09.12.2013 Uladzimir Yaromenak to be imprisoned on 11 December

Today Uladzimir Yaromenak has been informed about the day when he will start serving three months arrest. He must come to the Pershamaiski District Police Department with his personal belongings on 11 December. From there he will be taken to the prison in Valadarski Street.

09.12.2013 Metropolitan Filaret: "The Church is making efforts to stop the execution of death verdicts"

The head of the Belarusian Orthodox Church responded to the applicatioon of Tamara Sialiun, whose son was sentenced to capital punishment. Metropolitan Filaret stressed that the Belarusian Orthodox Church opposes the death penalty in Belarus.

09.12.2013 Orsha authorities ban a picket against the destruction of a park

Orsha District Executive Committee banned a picket, initiated by the social activists YuryNahorny and Ales Shutau. They intended to hold the picket on 12 December to protect the park in the neighborhood "Charomushki" where trees are demolished to build another multi-stored house.

09.12.2013 Two pickets dated to Human Rights Day banned in Vitsebsk

The formal reason is usual, the absence of the contracts for serving the events. The activists tried to enter into the needed service agreements with the appropriate agencies two months before the planned action, but the city's polyclinic and the regional police department refused to do it.

09.12.2013 Andrei Tsianiuta gets fined

The co-chairman of the “Young Front” and a participant of the campaign "Stop Drinking – Start Living!” Andrei Tsianiuta received a “gratitude” and “reward” from the city authorities for distributing anti-alcohol information – he was fined 25 basic units by the Administrative Commission of the Savetski District of Homel.

09.12.2013 Long pause in mail correspondence with Ales Bialiatski

According to the wife of the human rights activist Ales Bialiatski, Natallia Pinchuk, she hasn't received any letters from him for more than two weeks, and is very worried with this fact. She refused to give any comments, saying she would wait a little longer.

09.12.2013 Civil activists detained on the Ukrainian border for 28 hours

On 7 December the activist of the civil campaign “Alternative” Dzmitry Silchanka was detained at the Ukrainian border. He was going to Kyiv by a route bus “Homel-Chernihiv” together with his friends in order to take part in the peaceful protest actions.

09.12.2013 Information for journalists

On International Human Rights Day, 10 December 2013, a presentation of the alternative report of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the Human Rights Center "Viasna” "Forced Labour and Pervasive Violations of Workers' Rights in Belarus" will take place in Minsk.