The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for April 2015

30.04.2015 BCD denied premises for holing congress

Several institutions and agencies have denied to the organizing committee for creation of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party to give premises for holding a congress.

30.04.2015 Activists ask Prosecutor General's Office to give legal assessment of Lukashenka's remarks

Human rights defender Tatsiana Raviaka sent an electronic appeal to the Prosecutor General's Office of Belarus, asking to assess Lukashenka's order to “take all Jews under control”.

30.04.2015 Human rights defender denied opportunity to visit prisons

Human rights activist and freelance journalist Leanid Svetsik was going to write a series of articles about the conditions of detention of persons held in prisons and detention centers of the Viciebsk region. He sent more than a dozen requests in these facilities asking for permission to visit them. But none of these requests has been granted.

30.04.2015 Freelance journalists in Homieĺ appeal fine over “illegal interviews”

Freelance journalists Natallia Kryvashei and Kanstantsin Zhukouski, who were earlier fined 5.4 million rubles each for allegedly making “illegal interviews”, have filed their appeals to the Regional Court. They are asking the court to assess their actions under international law, as provided by Article 2 of the Law on Mass Media.

30.04.2015 Mahilioŭ Social Democrats face ban on May Day demonstration

According to Dzmitry Liuntou, member of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada), Mahilioŭ authorities have banned a peaceful assembly scheduled for May 1.

30.04.2015 Mahilioŭ Regional Court turns down appeal by political prisoner Mikalai Dziadok

The Mahilioŭ Regional Court considered today an appeal by political prisoner Mikalai Dziadok, whose initial sentence by the court of Mahilioŭ’s Lieninski District Court was extended on February 26 by one year and three days. The prisoner was charged with 16 violations of prison rules, the main of which was wearing a tracksuit instead of prison uniform.

30.04.2015 Court in Brest dismisses appeal by freelance journalist

Journalist Ina Khomich attempted to challenge a decision by the Court of Brest’s Maskoŭski district, according to which she was fined 30 basic units (5.4 million) under Article 22.9 of the Code of Administrative Offences – “distribution and production of media products”.

30.04.2015 Situation of human rights: April 2015

Despite ongoing intensification of contacts between the Foreign Ministry of Belarus and the EU and the United States, there were no positive changes in the field of human rights in the country in April.

29.04.2015 Activist and journalists detained near Russian embassy in Minsk

According to information received by the Human Rights Center “Viasna”, reporters of the Belsat TV channel and civil society activists Volha Mikalaichyk and Katsiaryna Sadouskaya have been detained today outside the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Minsk.

29.04.2015 Human rights activist: Council of Republic performs functions of Constitutional Court?

The Council of the Republic of the National Assembly has replied to a petition by Tamara Sialiun, who asked to complain to the Constitutional Court about Article 175 of the Criminal Executive Code, as it violates Part 3 of Article 25 of the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus.

29.04.2015 Police search apartment of former political prisoner Aliaksandr Malchanau after return from Ukraine

Former political prisoner Aliaksandr Malchanau, who returned from Ukraine two weeks ago, wrote today on his Facebook account: “They came to seek drugs, all approved by the prosecutor. They did not find anything. They took a hard disk (now I’m without an Internet connection) and two Ukrainian SIM cards. In general, a trifle, but unpleasant, now I am without money, the Internet, and waiting for the return of the HDD, which has been confiscated dozens of times.”

29.04.2015 UCP urges to release and rehabilitate all political prisoners

On April 28, the Political Council of the United Civil Party adopted a statement which called on the Belarusian authorities to release and rehabilitate all political prisoners.

28.04.2015 Brest officials ban May Day demonstration

Local Social Democrats planned to hold a mass action in defense of social and economic rights under the slogan “The State does not fulfill obligations to its own people”.

28.04.2015 Belarusian authorities again deny visa to foreign human rights activist

According to Lars Bünger, president of the international human rights organization Libereco - Partnership for Human Rights, the Belarusian Embassy in Berlin denied him a visa last week.

28.04.2015 Mikalai Statkevich to stand trial in prison on May 4

The trial of political prisoner Mikalai Statkevich, who is currently held in a penal colony in Škloŭ, will start on May 4, according to a post on his wife’s account on Facebook. The former presidential candidate may be transferred to prison with maximum security.