The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for February 2015

20.02.2015 Ales Bialiatski tells Latvian Foreign Minister about Belarusian political prisoners

On 20 February, the Embassy of the Republic of Latvia hosted a meeting of representatives of the Belarusian civil society with the Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Edgars Rinkēvičs. The meeting was attended by representatives of human rights organizations, including the chairman of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” Ales Bialiatski.

19.02.2015 Volha Hrunova: Mother should know where her son is buried

Volha Hrunova, the mother of Aliaksandr Hrunou, who was executed on charges of murder, has filed a supervisory appeal to the Chairman of the Homel Regional Court Siarhei Shautsou, after her civil lawsuit against the Homel Regional Court and the Department of Corrections was rejected earlier this month.

19.02.2015 Azerbaijan: Extension of pre-trial detention of Ms. Leyla Yunus until July 28, 2015

The Observatory has been informed by reliable sources about the ongoing judicial harassment of Ms. Leyla Yunus, Director of the Institute for Peace and Democracy (IPD) and a member of OMCT General Assembly.

19.02.2015 Ales Bialiatski: Prison system totally rotten, no political will to reform it

The leader of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” and former political prisoner Ales Bialiatski is critical of the conclusions voiced by his colleagues from the organization Platforma Innovation following a series of inspections carried out in the country’s prisons and detention facilities, Radio Liberty’s Belarus service reports.

18.02.2015 Minsk Regional Court confirms penalty for memorial action in Kurapaty

According to Judge Hurynovich, the decision of the Minsk district court for the recovery of a fine of 3 million 750 thousand rubles from vice-chairman of the CCP BPF Yury Belenki was legal, Radio Racyja reports.

18.02.2015 Yauhen Vaskovich not allowed to read Criminal Code

As it became known, after a meeting with his mother in Mahiliou colony No. 15 political prisoner Yauhen Vaskovich was forbidden to take legal literature, including the Criminal Code and the Code for Criminal Procedures, the pres service of the Belarusian Association of Journalists reports.

18.02.2015 Mikalai Dziadok to stand trial on 25 February

The trial of political prisoner Mikalai Dziadok will be held on 25 February in the Mahiliou-based prison No. 4.

18.02.2015 UN Human Rights Committee accepts complaint against ban on rally in support of Ales Bialiatski

On 18 February, Yury Varonezhtsau, a resident of Homel who sent a complaint to the UN Human Rights Committee, received a message from Geneva saying that his communication had been accepted by the Committee for consideration.

18.02.2015 Ukraine: One year after EuroMaydan protests, justice denied for victims of violence

A deeply imbedded culture of impunity, lack of expertise and in some cases, deliberate obstruction, are denying justice to the hundreds of victims of police abuses during the EuroMaydan protests in Ukraine, says Amnesty International in a new briefing on the first anniversary of the protest.

17.02.2015 Baranavichy officials ban picket against corruption and high utility prices

The Baranavichy City Executive Committee has banned a picket against corruption and high utility prices. It became known from a letter signed by the deputy chairman of the executive committee Dzmitry Kastsiukevich.

17.02.2015 Founder of homeless shelter threatened with criminal case

Believer Aliaksei Shchadrou, the founder of shelter for homeless, is threatened with criminal case. The press service of the BCD told charter97.org about it.

17.02.2015 Mazyr rights activist calls on local authorities to take measures to ensure language rights

Human rights activist Uladzimir Tseliapun has sent a letter to the Chairman of the Mazyr district executive committee chairman Yauhen Adamenka and the Chairman of the District Council of Deputies Siarhei Hvozd. The activist encourages the officials to take all measures possible to ensure the real rights of citizens in speaking their native language.

17.02.2015 Court turns down appeal by journalists in Mahiliou

On 16 February, the Judicial board on civil cases of the Mahiliou Regional Court considered an appeal lodged by the BelaPAN news agency, the private enterprise UzHorak, which publishes the newspaper of the same name, and journalist Uladzimir Laptsevich against a decision by the Horki District Court taken as a result of considering a claim for protection of honor, dignity and business reputation by chair of the district disabled persons’ organization Tamara Kaltunova.

17.02.2015 New Charges Brought Against Azerbaijani Journalist Ismayilova

New charges have been brought against independent journalist and RFE/RL contributor Khadija Ismayilova. Ismayilova's lawyer, Fariz Namazly, said the new charges include embezzlement, illegal entrepreneurship, tax evasion, and abuse of power.

16.02.2015 Re-socialization of convicts: basic aspects, principles, standards

An expert on the prison system, lawyer Pavel Sapelka, analyzes the situation in the prisons of Belarus in the light of international standards and international practice of work with prisoners.