The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for 21 Jul 2014

21.07.2014 Students advised to abandon NGO activities, says independent monitoring

Belarus has intensified pressure on the students for their participation in the activities of civil society organizations, say coordinators of a monitoring on violations of human rights and academic freedoms of students carried out by the Studentskaya Rada NGO in the framework of the Public Committee of Bologna.

21.07.2014 Russian court sentences Belarusian opposition activist to fine, orders his deportation

The Belgorod District Court in Russia has reportedly sentenced Belarusian opposition activist Dzmitry Razanovich to a fine of 15,000 Russian rubles (about $430) and ordered his deportation.

21.07.2014 Imprisoned opposition activist Ihar Alinevich transferred to correctional institution near Vitsyebsk

Imprisoned opposition activist Ihar Alinevich has been transferred to a correctional institution near Vitsyebsk.

21.07.2014 Salihorsk activists support campaign for protection of Belarusian language

Mikalai Sharavar, chairman of the Salihorsk office of the Frantsysk Skaryna Belarusian Language Society, has sent an appeal to the Constitutional Court against discrimination of the Belarusian language.

21.07.2014 Critical blogger’s son sentenced to three years of correctional labor

On July 18, the Court of Babruisk completed the trial of Aliaksei Zhalnou, son of a local blogger Aleh Zhalnou. Judge Yuliya Beraziuk sentenced the young man to three years in an open penal colony. Aliaksei Zhalnou will also have to pay a fine of 50 million rubles in damages. The plaintiff, a road policeman Aliaksandr Butouski, asked to recover from Zhalnou 100 million rubles, and the prosecutor demanded four years in a penal colony as a punishment for the blogger’s son. Aliaksei Zhalnou has ten days to appeal the verdict.

21.07.2014 Complaint against MFA to be considered by … MFA

Viktar Parfionenka, a freelance journalist from Hrodna, who has been over the past few years contributing to the Belarusian Radio Racyja, has filed six applications for an official accreditation to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus, and each time he was refused. Viktar Parfionenka is going to apply for accreditation for the seventh time. The last refusal argued that the journalist allegedly failed to attach a copy of his passport, although he says he did send a copy. Now the journalist has made a written list of all the attached papers.