The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for July 2014

23.07.2014 Three picket banned in Orsha

Orsha authorities have banned three street protests scheduled for July 27, the day of the adoption of the Declaration on State Sovereignty of Belarus. The events were applied for by local activists of the United Civil Party and were expected to be held in three locations, the Heroes Park, near the entrance to the Aronia cafe and in the textile workers’ recreation park. All the three venues are authorized for public events.

23.07.2014 UCP activist in Hrodna submits complaint to UN Human Rights Committee

On July 22, Yezhy Hryhencha, Chairman of the Hrodna city office of the United Civil Party, sent a complaint to the UN Human Rights Committee. The activist believes that his right to peaceful assembly violated by a decision of the Leninski District Court of Hrodna, whose Judge Alena Piatrova fined him for active participation in a mass event.

23.07.2014 Yury Rubtsou: “I was actually denied access to justice”

Opposition activist Yury Rubtsou filed on July 22 an appeal to the judicial board on civil cases of the Minsk City Court against a ruling of Minsk’s Maskouski District Court.

22.07.2014 Activist Uladzimir Niapomniashchykh detained in Homel

Opposition activist Uladzimir Niapomniashchykh was detained this afternoon in the center of Homel. The UCP member was taken to the nearest police station.

22.07.2014 Court in Homel evades consideration of police abuse complaint

Yury Rubtsou, an opposition activist of Homel, received by mail a ruling by the Maskouski District Court. In his complaint, the activist asked to prosecute the police officers, who on April 26 took his shirt and then brought him to court topless, as well as to oblige the law enforcement to return him his T-shirt reading “Lukashenka, Resign!” and “Arrest me! Why? I am against Lukashenka”.

22.07.2014 Over 40 pickets banned in Homel

Following a long-lasting tradition, the Homel City Executive Committee has not given permission to a series of pickets. Local human rights defenders, activists of the pro-democratic organizations and political parties were planning to stage 40 protests in Homel on July 27 in order to mark the anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Sovereignty.

22.07.2014 Activist fined in Baranavichy

On July 21, the Baranavichy City Court found individual entrepreneur Mikalai Charnavus guilty of violating Part 3, Article 23.34 of the Administrative Code of the Republic of Belarus for organizing on July 1 an unauthorized event of local entrepreneurs at the city’s central market.

22.07.2014 “Sign with Your Heart”: Civil society expects commitment from government

The Office for the Rights of People with Disabilities has been campaigning for a Memorandum of accession to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The campaign is entitled “Sign with Your Heart”.

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.

18.07.2014 Mahiliou human rights defenders to picket in support of political prisoners

On July 17, a request to hold a picket in support of political prisoners was submitted to the Mahiliou City Executive Committee by local human rights defenders Barys Bukhel and Aliaksei Kolchyn. The application asks for permission to hold a picket in the city center on August 4.