The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for May 2015

29.05.2015 Brest Regional Court dismisses appeal by freelance journalist

The Brest Regional Court has considered a cassation appeal by freelance journalist Tamara Shchapiotkina, who asked to cancel the decision of the court of Brest’s Lieninski district and send the case for retrial.

29.05.2015 Independent journalist detained on border with Ukraine

Freelance journalist and activist from Homel Kanstantsin Zhukouski has been detained on the Belarusian-Ukrainian border for the third time in the past two months.

29.05.2015 Human rights activist urges border officials to return seized laptop

Human rights defender Leanid Sudalenka has complained to the Chairman of the Customs Committee Yury Sianko urging him to return the laptop seized from the activist at the border checkpoint Kamenny Loh on May 24. The human rights activist also complains about the systematic violation of his rights by the Ašmiany customs.

29.05.2015 Independent publisher to stand another trial in Kryčaŭ

Uladzimir Kudrautsau, publisher of the independent newspaper Volny Horad, received a summons from the court of Kryčaŭ district, saying that the examination of his administrative case will be held on June 3.

29.05.2015 Two more fines for BCD banner

An activist of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party, Dzmitry Dziakau, said that besides him two others were fined for a banner posted on May 19 in Navapolack. According to him, both his friends did not have any relation to the incident.

29.05.2015 Pavel Sapelka: Trials in prisons actually held behind closed doors

Lawyer Pavel Sapelka, who was not allowed to attend a circuit trial held in Škloŭ penal colony No. 17 to address the issue of changing the regime of detention of political prisoner Mikalai Statkevich, has lodged a complaint with the Mahilioŭ regional office of the Department of Corrections. Since the consideration of criminal cases in all courts shall be open, except in certain cases, Pavel Sapelka believes that the incident limited his rights.

28.05.2015 Valyantsin Stefanovich: In colony Mikalai Dzyadok subjected to torture

The penitentiary system of Belarus has preserved many elements of totalitarian past.

28.05.2015 Ales Bialiatski: “Election” is show with pre-planned result

In fact, the “election campaign” has started with obvious signals of intimidation of the Belarusian society.

28.05.2015 Political prisoner Yury Rubtsou sentenced to two years in penal colony

The Pružany District Court has sentenced political prisoner Yury Rubtsou to two years of imprisonment in a minimum security penal colony on charges of evasion of serving his initial sentence.

28.05.2015 Supreme Court to hear cassation appeal by death convict Siarhei Ivanou

According to information received by the Human Rights Center “Viasna”, on July 14 the Supreme Court will consider the cassation appeal by Siarhei Ivanou, a resident of Rečyca, who was sentenced to death for a brutal murder.

28.05.2015 BPF deputy head appeals fine to Supreme Court

On May 27, BPF deputy head Ryhor Kastusiou has sent a supervisory appeal to the Chairman of the Supreme Court.

28.05.2015 UCP activist in Babrujsk receives ban on picket 15 minutes before start

Halina Smirnova, an activist of the United Civil Party from Babrujsk, was going to hold a picket today to “inform the public about the inadmissibility of introduction of forced labor provided by Decree No. 3”. The ban was received by the activist just 15 minutes before the start of the declared picket.

27.05.2015 No news from Alinevich

For a long time there has been no information about the political prisoner Ihar Alinevich who serves his punishment in the colony Vitsba-3.

27.05.2015 Hrodna Regional Court dismisses appeal by freelance journalists

Freelance journalists Ales Dzianisau and Ales Kirkevich have received a negative decision from the Hrodna Regional Court, after Judge Sviatlana Dalhashei dismissed their appeals.

27.05.2015 Marieluise Beck, Member of German Bundestag demands: “Freedom for Ihar Alinevich!”

On the occasion of the fourth anniversary of the conviction of Ihar Alinevich, sentenced to 8 years in prison on 27 May 2011, Marieluise Beck, Speaker on Eastern European Politics of the Green Party Parliamentary Group in the German Bundestag and Prisoner’s Godparent for Ihar Alinevich, released a statement to demand his immediate release.