The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for February 2015

24.02.2015 Court cancels extremism warning

On 23 February, the Pershamaiski District Court of Minsk considered a complaint filed by a youth detained during a rock concert officially warned in January about the inadmissibility of violation of Article 10 of the Law “On Countering Extremism”.

24.02.2015 Ales Bialiatski visits Italy at invitation of Amnesty International

From 23 to 27 February, Ales Bialiatski is going to visit Rome, Palermo, Syracuse and Milan, where activists of Amnesty International’s local groups have arranged meetings of different levels with the participation of the Belarusian human rights defender.

24.02.2015 Political prisoner Yury Rubtsou files suit to abolish forced labor for convicts

Political prisoner Yury Rubtsou has lodged a lawsuit with the District Court in Pruzhany asking to amend the internal regulations of correctional facilities, which provide for compulsory labor for prisoners in open-type penal colonies, including unpaid community work. The jailed opposition activist has also sent a petition to the Constitutional Court.

24.02.2015 Human rights activist appeals picket ban to Brest Regional Court

Human rights activist from Baranavichy Siarhei Housha has sent an appeal to the Judicial Board on Civil Cases of the Brest Regional Court to challenge the decision of the Baranavichy District and City Court of 27 January, which upheld the ban on a picket ordered by the city executive committee on 10 December 2014.

23.02.2015 Court in Mahiliou to consider suit by trade union activist

Trade union activist Aliaksei Paulouski has lodged a lawsuit to demand apologies from a construction company which refused to employ him due to “possible negative consequences”. The suit has been filed in the Court of Mahiliou’s Leninski district.

23.02.2015 Tamara Shchapiotkina to stand another trial on February 27

On February 23, freelance journalist Tamara Shchapiotkina was summoned to the police station of Biaroza to give explanations on an administrative offense report written on 21 February by police officer Rachynski of the Leninski district police department of Brest.

23.02.2015 Ryhor Kastusiou keeps appealing penalty for memorial action

On 23 February, deputy chairman of the BPF Party Ryhor Kastusiou filed a supervisory appeal to the Chairman of the Mahiliou Regional Court against a fine of 25 basic units (3,750,000 rubles) imposed on him for participating in allegedly unauthorized public events in the town of Svislach and in the village of Yakushouka held on 26 October 2014.

23.02.2015 4 pickets banned in Polatsk and Vitsebsk

All these events were banned by local authorities due to the fact that the organizers did not submit contracts with doctors, police and public utilities.

23.02.2015 Salihorsk: ban on Human Rights Day picket appealed to court of cassation

Human rights activist Leanid Markhotka has filed an appeal in the Minsk Regional Court to challenge a decision of the court of Salihorsk district which dismissed his earlier appeal against a ban imposed on a picket scheduled for Human Rights Day.

23.02.2015 Opposition activist goes on hunger strike in protest against arrest in Homel

Opposition activist Kanstantsin Zhukouski has announced a hunger strike to protest against a 10-day jail term he received on 20 February, according to his counsel who visited the detention center on 21 February.

20.02.2015 Human rights activists: At least 114 people killed, 27 missing in Kyiv Euromaidan protests

At least 114 people were killed and 27 more are still considered missing as a result of the Euromaidan protests held in Kyiv November 2013 and February 2014.

20.02.2015 Ukraine: Deter grave crimes by joining ICC

International and national civil society calls for immediate ratification of Rome Statute to ensure accountability for grave crimes

20.02.2015 Court dismisses Tonkacheva's appeal against deportation from Belarus

The human rights defender must leave Belarus on February 21.

20.02.2015 Retrial of Nina Bahinskaya ends in heavy fine

On 20 February, the Tsentralny District Court of Minsk re-examined the administrative case of Nina Bahinskaya, who was accused of participating in an unauthorized mass event held at the monument to Taras Shevchenko on 22 January.

20.02.2015 Police detain 4 opposition activists in Minsk

According to a message posted on the Facebook account of Aleh Korban, leader of the Alternatyva opposition initiative, four members of this group were detained by police in the center of Minsk today. The incident occurred at about 12 p.m. near Yakub Kolas Square, as the activists were pasting posters to mark the International Mother Tongue Day.