The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for 27 Nov 2014

27.11.2014 Political prisoner Lobau not released but already supervised

Eduard Lobau, who should have been released on December 18 after 4 year imprisonment, is preventively supervised.

27.11.2014 Join “Cities for Life - Cities Against the Death Penalty” campaign on November 30 (VIDEO)

The campaign “Human Rights Defenders against the Death Penalty in Belarus” urges everyone to join the initiative “Cities for Life - Cities Against the Death Penalty”, which will take place on November 30.

27.11.2014 Trial of disabled activist in Svetlahorsk adjourned over flawed police report

On November 27, the Svetlahorsk City Court was expected to hear the administrative charges brought against Yury Liashenka, an activist for the right of persons with disabilities. He was charged under Article 23.34 of the Administrative Code – violation of the order of holding mass events. However, the trial did not take place after a police lieutenant colonel told the activist that the case file needed to be corrected.

27.11.2014 Court refuses to disclose burial place to death convict’s mother

The Homel Regional Court, who earlier sentenced local resident Aliaksandr Hrunou to death, refused to disclose the death convict’s place of burial to his mother. Volha Hrunova has received a written ban signed by the Chairman of the Court Siarhei Shautsou. Now she is going to seek changes in the Belarusian legislation, which imposes a taboo on information about the burial site of executed prisoners, gomelspring.org reports.

27.11.2014 Freelance journalist summoned to police in Biaroza

On October 26, Tamara Shchapiotkina, a human rights defender and freelance journalist in Biaroza, Brest region, received a phone call from deputy head for public order of the police department Mikalai Prakurat.

27.11.2014 Ales Bialiatski: “I took the decision of the UN Human Rights Committee as a personal satisfaction” (full text of the document)

The Human Rights Center “Viasna” publishes the official text of a decision taken by the United Nations Human Rights Committee in the case of its leader and vice-president of the International Federation for Human Rights, Ales Bialiatski.

27.11.2014 Welcome to new Human Rights House in Chernihiv

Another Human Rights House has been opened in Chernihiv, Ukraine, to become a focal point for human rights defenders from different regions of the country. Among its founders are public organizations from Uzhhorod, Crimea, Luhansk and Chernihiv.