The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for April 2014

30.04.2014 1000 days in prison: Free Ales now!

Activists of Amnesty International and Libereco - Partnership for Human Rights hold a picket in Zurich/Switzerland to remember that Belarusian human rights defender Ales Bialiatski is in prison since 1000 days on 29th April 2014.

29.04.2014 Ales Bialiatski: 1000 Days in Prison

Ales Bialiatski, head of the Human Rights Center Viasna and vice president of FIDH, has spent 1000 days behind bars.

28.04.2014 Minsk court convicts Chernobyl Way protesters

The court of Minsk’s Savetski district considered today administrative charges brought against six participants of yesterday’s Chernobyl Way march, who were detained immediately after the meeting. In addition, the court heard the case of former political prisoner Aliaksandr Frantskevich, who was detained ahead of the demonstration.

28.04.2014 Mahiliou Regional Prosecutor’s Office finds no violations of detention conditions

Responses received by a member of the United Civil Party, Anton Kastsou, from a number of government bodies say that an inspection failed to establish whether he was held in the same cell with the citizens previously convicted of criminal offences.

28.04.2014 Khotsimsk Prosecutor’s Office: Detention of candidate legal

Last week, civil society activist Valery Karankevich received a response from the Khotsimsk District Prosecutor’s Office to his complaint against local police department officials who did not allow him to attend the counting of votes at polling station No. 3.

27.04.2014 Fair World Brest leader complains against local election commissions

Head of the Brest city office of the Belarusian Left Party “Fair World” Liudmila Dzenisenka, who was running for the City Council in local constituency No. 13, has been yet unable to receive the list of voters who cast their ballots at their residence in the recent local elections.

27.04.2014 Biaroza human rights defenders summoned to police

Human rights defenders Siarhei Rusetski and Tamara Shchapiotkina received on April 25 a summons to the police. Police Major Dzmitry Mastyka served a summons, which had no name or address. The activists were not told about the nature of the case where they are expected to appear as witnesses.

27.04.2014 Libereco offers to sign petition to amnesty political prisoners in Belarus

On the eve of the Ice Hockey World Championship, the human rights organization “Libereco - Partnership for Human Rights” calls on President Lukashenka to release all political prisoners and to host the Championship without human rights violations.

26.04.2014 Former political prisoner Aliaksandr Frantskevich detained in Minsk

Former political prisoner Aliaksandr Frantskevich has been detained in Minsk, according to by his mother Tatsiana Frantskevich, who wrote on her Facebook account: “Just can’t figure out why. At eight o’clock after work. Now he’s also in Akrestsin Street”.

25.04.2014 Amnesty International: Death row prisoner executed in secret

Amnesty International strongly condemns the execution of death row prisoner, Pavel Selyun, in Belarus and the way it was communicated with total disregard for the rights of his family. According to the Belarusian NGO, Human Rights Centre Viasna, he was executed some time over the Easter period. He had appealed to President Lukashenka for clemency. Pavel Selyun’s mother was not informed that clemency had been denied to her son, nor that he was due to be executed, in violation of international standards.

25.04.2014 Miklós Haraszti: Halt further executions

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus, Miklós Haraszti, has urged the Belarusian authorities to impose an immediate moratorium on death sentences and to refrain from carrying out further executions.

25.04.2014 Dzmitry Dashkevich sentenced to 25 days of arrest

Former political prisoner Dzmitry Dashkevich was detained last evening at the entrance to his apartment in Minsk. He was searched and then brought to the Pershamaiski district police department.

25.04.2014 Opposition activist Pavel Vinahradau to remain under police supervision

Opposition activist Pavel Vinahradau visited yesterday the police department of Minsk’s Maskouski district to check in on the last day of preventive supervision imposed on him for his civil activity. However, the staff told him that the period of restrictions might be extended.

25.04.2014 Sport for Sport

Appeal by Human Rights Organizations to the Governments of the Countries Participating in the 2014 World Ice Hokey Championship to be held in Minsk

24.04.2014 Pavel Sapelka: “Pre-trial agreement is a progressive standard, which only works with an independent court”

Belarus can introduce a mechanism for the pre-trial agreement on cooperation with the suspect (accused) in a criminal case. This initiative is supported by the Investigative Committee.