The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for May 2014

26.05.2014 Authorities thwart UCP congress

The party has been denied 15 premises for a congress.

26.05.2014 Former candidate seeks to prosecute election commission chair in Baranavichy

Ex-candidate for the Brest Regional Council Mikalai Charnavus submitted on May 24 a complaint to the chairman of the Regional Court to appeal against an earlier decision of the Baranavichy City Court of March 21, which claimed that the candidate’s case was beyond the court’s jurisdiction and that by the Brest Regional Court of May 5.

26.05.2014 Police seize computer equipment from blogger in Babruisk

As a result of a search, which took place in the apartment of Babruisk blogger Aleh Zhalnou on Friday, the police confiscated computer equipment, for the second time over the last seven months. This time, says the blogger, the police took a hard drive, a flash drive, a laptop, a digital video recorder and several discs.

26.05.2014 Football fan fined over national symbols

Aleh, 24, a resident of Minsk, was detained at Minsk-Arena in the evening of 22 May, where he had come to see a match between Belarus and Sweden. The youth attracted attention by a white-red-white flag painted on his cheek.

26.05.2014 Yury Rubtsou declares hunger strike against fresh arrest

On May 22, the Court of Homel’s Chyhunachny district sentenced opposition activist Yury Rubtsou, who was released after 25 days arrest, to five days of administrative arrest. The activist is expected to be released on May 27. In protest against arbitrary actions by the police and the judiciary Yury Rubtsou has declared a hunger strike.

23.05.2014 Office for Rights of People with Disabilities criticizes barrier-free environment at Hockey Championship facilities

Volunteers of the Office for the Rights of People with Disabilities have monitored 47 facilities. Among them, the sports objects of Minsk-Arena and Čyžouka-Arena, the central railway stations and the national airport Minsk, hostels and hotels, department stores and other places.

23.05.2014 Babruisk police search apartment of critical blogger

The apartment of Babruisk blogger Aleh Zhalnou has been searched by the police. According to preliminary information, the police were looking for a video footage regarding his detention in the police department building over “attempted remote detonation”.

23.05.2014 Opposition activist Rubtsow leaves jail after serving out 25-day sentence

Opposition activist Yury Rubtsow was released from the detention center on Akrestsina Street in Minsk on May 21 after he served out a 25-day jail sentence.

23.05.2014 Lukashenka’s words about ballot-rigging could entail impeachment

All manipulations with ballots are taking place at polling stations, not in district commissions. It has been said by a deputy chairman of Viasna human rights centre, a lawyer Valyantsin Stefanovich.

23.05.2014 Statement by the International Commission against the Death Penalty on Belarus: Execution of Ryhor Yuzepchuk

The International Commission against the Death Penalty (ICDP) condemns the execution of Ryhor Yuzepchuk (45) by authorities in Belarus; the second in 2014.

22.05.2014 Journalist in Hrodna given sixth accreditation ban

Viktar Parfionenka, a member of the Belarusian Association of Journalists from Hrodna, has received from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus a sixth denial of accreditation. The officials stubbornly prevent the freelance reporter to work legally.

22.05.2014 While the World Ice Hockey Championship takes place, violations continue… Video n°3

Belarus is hosting the World Ice Hockey Championship, which started last Friday and will end on 25 May. FIDH has made 3 short animated films to denounce the human rights violations taking place in Belarus. These abuses cannot be camouflaged by the Championship.

22.05.2014 British journalist not allowed to Belarus

Channel 4 News journalist Jonathan Rugman was stopped this morning while crossing the Belarusian border, charter97.org said quoting a message he posted on his Tweeter account.

22.05.2014 Police Officers Ignore the Law

The deputy chair of BAJ and lawyer Andrei Bastunets gives a comment on the latest wave of warnings given to regional journalists.

22.05.2014 Klimavichy resident appeals against biased decision of administrative commission

Alena Marchanka, a resident of the village of Domamerychy, Klimavichy district, filed today a complaint with the Court of Klimavichy district against the decision of the administrative commission of the Klimavichy District Executive Committee of May 13, 2014.