The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for August 2014

26.08.2014 OSCE core principles must be safeguarded in Ukraine, says Secretary General

ALPBACH, Austria, 26 August 2014 - Separatism and changes in borders must be firmly rejected and the core OSCE principles followed during the crisis in Ukraine, OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier told the European Forum Alpbach this weekend.

26.08.2014 Extremism commission to evaluate information products

A commission to evaluate if information has signed of extremism will be set up in Belarus.

26.08.2014 Opposition activists get arrested before Minsk meeting

Police detains the activists before the meeting of Poroshenko, Putin and EU leadership.

26.08.2014 Court sentences Pavel Vinahradau to 10 days of prison

On August 23, the Court of Minsk’s Maskouski district considered an administrative case against activist of the Zmena opposition movement Pavel Vinahradau. He was sentenced to 10 days in jail for alleged hooliganism (Article 17.1 of the Administrative Code).

26.08.2014 Opposition activist detained in Homel

Opposition activist Kanstantsin Zhukouski was detained last evening in Homel. He was detained outside his private house and taken to the police department, despite the fact that it was he who had called the police.

26.08.2014 EU position on Belarus has not changed

Today’s meeting of leaders of the Customs Union member-countries and Ukraine in Minsk will be held in a “particular context”, as it is expected to involve the EU representative at the invitation of Presidents Vladimir Putin and Petro Poroshenko, said Maja Kocijančič, Spokesperson for EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton, at a briefing in Brussels on August 25.

25.08.2014 Ukraine: Senior UN official calls for end to violence, urges scaling up aid ahead of winter

United Nations humanitarian chief Valerie Amos called again today for an end to the violence in Ukraine as she continued her visit to areas of the country's crisis-riven eastern regions to see for herself the impact of the continued fighting on millions of people.

25.08.2014 Baranavichy human rights defender: city authorities lie on reasons for picket ban

Human rights defender Siarhei Housha has received a reply from the Baranavichy City Executive Committee, signed by the Deputy Chairman Dzmitry Kastsiukevich, to his letter, in which he asked to specify the reason for the ban on a picket scheduled for July 27.

25.08.2014 Nino Katamadze considers death penalty an important negative point in Belarus

The world-known Georgian jazz-rock singer, leader of the band “Inside” told it tut.by while speaking about her likes and dislikes in Belarus.

25.08.2014 Lawyer allowed to visit political prisoner Vasil Parfiankou

Vasil Parfiankou’s counsel has been allowed to visit the political prisoner in the Horki penal colony and is going to see him in the near future. Obtaining such permission was difficult, Radio Liberty’s Belarus service reports.

25.08.2014 Belarusian activists detained on Russian border

On August 23, the Russian border guards detained several representatives of Belarusian pro-democracy movements and parties, who were going to the Katyn to mark the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Stalinism, which is celebrated on August 23.

25.08.2014 Dismissed trade union leader protects rights in court

The Polatsk District Court has refused to consider a lawsuit lodged by trade union activists Viktar Stukau against his former employer, JSC “Polatsk-Shklovalakno”. The lawsuit urging to eliminate employment discrimination came after fresh evidence appeared in the activist’s conflict with the major state-owned enterprise. Earlier, the court refused to consider Viktar Stukau’s complaint in March 2013.

25.08.2014 Biaroza human rights activists denied right to stage picket

On August 22, human rights defenders in the town of Biaroza were not allowed to stage a picket, which was scheduled for August 25. The event was expected to mark 23 since the bill on the Declaration of Independence acquired a constitutional status, as well as to protest against the deployment of Russian military bases on the territory of Belarus and to demand release of political prisoners.

25.08.2014 Human Rights Watch: Marking Ukrainian Independence Day with a Laws-of-War Violation

Armed men with bayonet-equipped automatic rifles parade several dozen captured soldiers, their hands tied behind their backs, through the streets among crowds shouting “fascists” and other insults. Behind the parade, three cleaning trucks “cleanse” the streets where the detainees just walked.

25.08.2014 In Ukraine, UN relief chief pledges support for political, aid, rebuilding efforts

The top United Nations relief official told reporters in Ukraine today, that while the situation in Sloviansk has improved, the UN is still concerned about the ongoing impact of the crisis and plans to support the Government's efforts towards political talks, scaling up the humanitarian response, and ensuring long-term rehabilitation of infrastructure.