The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for February 2014

21.02.2014 Valiantsin Stefanovich: “We will go back to debate on restricted access to spring96.org website”

Deputy Chairman of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" Valiantsin Stefanovich sent a private complaint to the Board of Civil Cases of the Minsk City Court to challenge a decision of the Tsentralny District Court of Minsk, who dismissed his lawsuit against blacklisting Viasna’s website.

21.02.2014 41 candidates for 40 seats in Mazyr District Council

Mazyr district election commission met yesterday to register of candidates for the District Council. 45 applications were submitted in 40 constituencies, and 41 candidates were eventually registered.

21.02.2014 Why is higher education inaccessible to the majority of people with disabilities?

Only 10 percent of people with disabilities in Belarus have higher education. What is preventing these people from getting higher education and how to overcome these barriers?

21.02.2014 Zelva district commission denies registration to opposition candidate

Zelva district election commission ruled yesterday to deny registration to local opposition activist Yauhen Skrabutan, who was running for the district council. The activist was told the commission had received written explanations of those who signed for his nomination, saying that the dates were not written in person.

21.02.2014 Candidate’s mandate revoked 4 hours after registration

Yaraslau Bernikovich, activist of the "Tell the Truth" campaign running for the Hlybokaye District Council, received yesterday a certificate of registration from the district election commission. However, at about 3 p.m. the same day an election official phoned him to report that his registration would be canceled.

20.02.2014 Another prosecutor’s warning to independent journalist

On February 19, Yury Dziashuk was once again summoned to the Prosecutor's Office, where the journalist received an official warning, referring to a ban on working for foreign media without accreditation, as well as the inadmissibility of publication of unverified information. The journalist, however, could not obtain a written copy of the warning, the press-service of the Belarusian Association of Journalists reports.

20.02.2014 Two opposition members in Homel not registered as candidates for Parliament

The district election commission of Homel’s constituency No. 36 held its meetings today to approve the registration of candidates for Parliament. The constituency was the only one that failed to elect a MP back in the 2012 general elections, after a pro-government candidate, aide to the president in the Homel region Ihar Prakapenka withdrew his nomination, just like the opposition candidate, UCP member Uladzimir Niapomniashchykh. A candidate representing the LDP did not receive the necessary amount of votes.

20.02.2014 Blogger in Babruisk faces four criminal charges

The confrontation of blogger Aleh Zhalnou and police is still underway in Babruisk. Over the past year, the blogger has faced 14 cases: one civil, nine administrative, and four criminal charges. Another criminal case was opened against Aleh’s son, Aliaksei. In certain cases, lawsuits have already reached the court, but most trials are yet to start in Babruisk.

20.02.2014 Public control of prisons: Legislative restrictions

What is the meaning of the phrase “on the basis and in the manner prescribed by law” included in the rule of the Code providing public associations with the right to control the activities of prisons? Is control by the PMCs efficient?

20.02.2014 BPF activist appeals denial of registration as candidate

The election commission of Zavodski district of Minsk denied yesterday registration to a candidate for the Minsk City Council Iliya Dabratvor. The potential candidate representing the Belarusian Popular Front was going to run in the city’s constituency No. 1.

20.02.2014 Election officials block opposition candidates in Vitsebsk

A number of members of opposition parties and pro-democratic NGOs were not registered as candidates for the Vitsebsk City Council, including the most famous persons of the region, human rights defender Pavel Levinau, coordinator of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Tatsiana Seviarynets, coordinator of the movement “For Freedom” in Vitsebsk region Khrystafor Zhaliapau, coordinator of the campaign “Tell the Truth” in the Vitsebsk region Lidziya Sahidulina and others.

20.02.2014 Police chief in Klimavichy refuses to prosecute employee over slander

Alena Marchanka, resident of the village of Damamerychy, Klimavichy district, sent a complaint to the chief of Mahiliou regional police department and the district prosecutor, requesting to cancel the decision of an unknown employee of the police department, who ordered to drop defamation charges against police sergeant Panasenka. Ms. Marchanka urges the officials not to miss the period provided for bringing the policeman to administrative responsibility.

20.02.2014 Supreme Court to consider appeal against repeated death sentence for Aliaksandr Hrunou

The Judicial Board for Criminal Cases of the Supreme Court is expected to hear on April 8 an appeal filed by Aliaksandr Hrunou, 25, who was repeatedly sentenced to death for the brutal murder of a woman.

19.02.2014 Young Front activist appeals psychiatric abuse

Aliaksandr Latyshau from Zhlobin filed a complaint with the head of department of health of Homel Regional Executive Committee after he was referred for a psychiatric examination at a mental hospital “in connection with his earlier participation in the Young Front.”

19.02.2014 EU views only six Belarusians as political prisoners, rights defender says

Minsk, 18 February. The European Union views only six citizens of Belarus as political prisoners, Valyantsin Stefanovich, deputy chairman of a human rights organization called Vyasna (Spring), told European Radio for Belarus on Monday evening with reference to the ambassador of an EU country.