The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for May 2015

27.05.2015 Political prisoner Mikalai Dziadok gets 4 penalties in 2 weeks, twice put in penal cell

According to Valeryia Khotsina, wife of political prisoner Mikalai Dziadok, on May 12 he was transferred to a new place of imprisonment – colony No. 9 in Horki. The following day, May 13, he was placed in solitary confinement, where he spent 5 days.

27.05.2015 Activist to stand trial for distributing leaflets about political prisoners in Mikaševičy

Vital Kalinouski, member of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada), has staged an action to express his support to political prisoner Yury Rubtsou, who is standing trial in the court of the Pružany district.

26.05.2015 Infographics: Political prisoners in Belarus

Today, Belarusian prisons hold six political prisoners.

26.05.2015 Minsk court convicts two opposition activists (video)

The Court of Minsk’s Centraĺny district heard today the administrative cases of opposition activists Volha Nikalaichyk and Katsiaryna Sadouskaya.

26.05.2015 Four years since Mikalai Statkevich was sentenced

Statement by Franz Thoennes (Social Democratic Party of Germany), Vice-Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the German Bundestag

26.05.2015 Torture of death convict’s relatives: Fifth argument against the death penalty (video)

The United Nations Human Rights Committee has repeatedly said that the procedure of executing death verdicts in Belarus has signs of torture and inhuman treatment, both in relation to the executed person and his relatives.

26.05.2015 Ales Bialiatski: “CIS countries rebuilding police states pact”

Human rights defender Ales Bialiatski has commented on his Facebook page on the meeting of the Council of Heads of Security Bodies and Special Services of the CIS member states, which is being held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.

25.05.2015 Freelance journalist Volha Chaichyts receives summons to court

Freelance journalist Volha Chaichyts has received a summons ordering her to appear at the Dziaržynsk District Court on June 1.

25.05.2015 Police open probe into alleged misuse of violence against football fans in Baranavičy

On May 23, human rights activist Siarhei Housha received a response from the Baranavičy Interdistrict Prosecutor’s Office to his complaint about alleged beating of football fans before on May 3.

25.05.2015 Border guards seize laptop from human rights activist Leanid Sudalenka

Belarusian border guards searched human rights activist Leanid Sudalenka as he was returning from Lithuania last evening. As a result, they took several data storage devices and a laptop.

25.05.2015 ‘Social parasites’ protests banned in Orša and Brest

On May 24 and 25, local activists of the United Civil Party were going to stage a number of protests against the newly introduced Decree No. 3 “On the prevention of social dependency”.

25.05.2015 Ales Bialiatski: “Closer relations with Belarus not justifiable”

Europolitics, an authoritative Brussels-based media outlet, specializing in detailed coverage of events in the European Union, interviewed Ales Bialiatski on the eve of the Eastern Partnership Summit in Riga.

23.05.2015 Contacts

E-mail: viasna@spring96.org web-site: www.spring96.org

22.05.2015 3 UCP pickets banned in Hrodna region

Members of the United Civil Party are still trying to obtain permission to stage several pickets in the Hrodna region. This time, the representatives of the party applied for a series of pickets against Decree No. 3, so-called decree against parasites.

22.05.2015 Baranavičy District Court dismisses appeal against ban on May Day picket

Baranavičy District Court heard yesterday an appeal filed by local trade union activist Ryhor Hryk, who challenged a ban on the May Day rally imposed by the local executive committee. As a result, Judge Mikalai Selimanovich found the activist’s claims groundless.