The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for April 2014

07.04.2014 Justice Ministry Issues Warning to United Civil Party

The Ministry of Justice of Belarus has issued an official warning to the United Civil Party.

07.04.2014 Brest: pressurization of the UCP candidates at the local elections continues

Iryna Siniapkina, who was nominated as a candidate of the United Civil Party, can be punished for an electoral picket held on February 24 in Brest.

07.04.2014 Mahiliou police drop administrative case concerning the beating of a candidate for deputy

The case was dismissed due to the absence of administrative offense. Such a response was received from the police by a former candidate for Mahiliou city and regional councils Aliaksei Paulouski.

07.04.2014 Police terrorize independent journalists

Maksim Khliabets, a journalist, was interrogated by police on Friday as a witness in an administrative case.

04.04.2014 Husband of critical campaigner repeatedly sentenced to three years in prison

On April 4, the Court of Mahiliou’s Kastrychnitski district, according to the decision of the Mahiliou Regional Court, confirmed the sentencing of Piotr Kuchura, whose wife Liudmila Kuchura is famous for her involvement in a campaign against lawlessness of law enforcement officials, to a three-year prison term. The verdict was announced despite the fact that the Regional Court found significant violations of the criminal procedural law during the first trial.

04.04.2014 Minsk City Court turns down appeal by UCP activist

Mikhail Babila, an activist of the United Civil Party, was detained on March 16 near Minsk’s Kamarouski market together with other UCP picketers. They were charged with violation of Art. 23.34 of the Administrative Code (participation in an unauthorized mass event).

04.04.2014 Slavamir Adamovich detained for Ukrainian state symbols again

The poet was detained for a yellow-blue ribbon in central Minsk.

04.04.2014 White-red-white flags banned at KHL games in Prague

Belarusian fans are not allowed to use national flags during the games of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) in Prague.

04.04.2014 Former candidate complains to CEC over disregard of his complaints

Valery Karankevich, a former candidate for the Mahiliou Regional Council in Khotsimsk constituency No. 54 and a candidate for the Khotsimsk District Council in constituency No. 13, filed today a complaint to the Central Election Committee.

04.04.2014 Babruisk: Case closed, complaint ignored

Babruisk freelance journalist Maryna Malchanava received a letter from the Prosecutor's Office, saying that an administrative case against her had been closed.

04.04.2014 Hrodna journalist fined 4.5 mln

On March 24, Ales Dzianisau was questioned by the police. Then, the journalist was charged under Part 2 of Art. 22.9 of the Administrative Code for in collaboration with the Poland-based TV channel Belsat. The reporters do not have accreditation, which would allow to work legally in Belarus.

04.04.2014 Activist spends month in mental hospital over solidarity with Ukraine

On March 27, Andrei Kasheuski, a resident of Zhodzina, was released from the National Centre for Mental Health in Minsk, after spending there a month over a yellow- blue ribbon he brought from the Kyiv Maidan.

04.04.2014 Editor of independent newspaper fined on anonymous charges

Heorhi Stankevich, a teacher of the town of Beshankovichy, Vitsebsk region, has been fined 7.5 million rubles for illegally publishing and distributing the newspaper “Kryvinka”. However, the anonymous statement that was used to charge the activist did not mention the self-published newspaper. The police were urged to “see to the matter”, but they accused the editor and publisher of violating the law on mass media, instead.

04.04.2014 Hrodna human rights defenders convicted for photos with Ukrainian flag

On April 3, human rights defenders Viktar Sazonau, Uladzimir Khilmanovich and Raman Yurhel spent six hours in the Leninski district police department of Hrodna. They were first questioned and then charged with administrative offenses. The police reports were based on photos posted on the websites of Radio Racyja and harodniaspring.org.

04.04.2014 International human rights defenders: Journalists must testify about what is happening in Belarus

Robert Hårdh, Executive Director of Civil Rights Defenders, Maina Kiai, UN Special Rapporteur on the right of freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, and Margaret Sekaggya, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights Defenders, have addressed journalists during the Defenders' Days conference, which is currently underway in Sweden: "Every journalist who find themselves in an authoritarian country such as Belarus must have an obligation to stand up for free speech and report on human rights violations in such a country."