The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for October 2015

27.10.2015 Detention conditions improved in jails in Minsk and Smaliavičy after complaint from activist

In 2015, Leanid Kulakou, activist of the European Belarus opposition movement, has served two short jail terms in the temporary detention facilities in Smaliavičy and Minsk. The penalties were imposed on the activist or taking part in two protests, including in solidarity with political prisoner Yury Rubtsou.

26.10.2015 Usevalad Auramenka fined for staging performance during post-election protest

The Centraĺny District Court of Minsk considered today an administrative case of Usevalad Auramenka, a participant in a post-election protest staged in Kastryčnickaja Square on October 11. He was accused of hooliganism (Art. 17.1 of the Administrative Code), which he allegedly committed in a public place.

26.10.2015 Anatol Liabedzka to stand new trial

Anatol Liabedzka, leader of the United Civil Party, has received a summons from the Court of Minsk’s Centraĺny district.

26.10.2015 Minsk police detain Ukrainian human rights defender for 2 hours

Ukrainian human rights activist Maria Yesenovskaya was detained in Minsk hotel Spadarozhnik on October 24 night, Lawtred reported on Facebook. Yesenovskaya was taken to the October District Department of the Interior and documents forbidding her to enter Belarus were presented to her there at about 1 a.m.

26.10.2015 Customs officers find no extremism, return laptop to human rights defender

Leanarda Loktseva, deputy chief of the Ašmiany Customs, has offered human rights defender Leanid Sudalenka to come and pick up his laptop and other printed materials that were seized by customs officials on May 25, when the activist, his vehicle and luggage were searched at the border crossing Kamienny Loh.

24.10.2015 Smarhoń: CEC ignores apparent vote rigging facts

Ales Dzerhachou, an independent observer from the town of Smarhoń, Hrodna region, has received a reply to his appeal submitted to the Central Election Commission. The observer sent photocopies of documents, which proved the discrepancy between the official data announced by the CEC and figures published in the protocols of election commissions at a number of polling stations in Smarhoń district.

23.10.2015 CEC fails to respond on the merits, says observer in Slonim

Ivan Bedka, an observer at polling station No. 10 in Slonim, Hrodna reigon, complained to the Central Election Commission, saying that the election commission members were mainly teachers of the school that hosted the polling station, with the head teacher being its chairman.

23.10.2015 Supreme Court increases sentence for Mikhail Zhamchuzhny

On October 23, Tatsiana Reviaka, a representative of the Human Rights Center "Viasna", attended the announcement of a decision taken following the consideration of an appeal by Mikhail Zhamchuzhny, founder of the human rights organization “Platform Innovation”.

23.10.2015 More people stand trial in Minsk over protest against Russian bases

The Court of Minsk’s Centraĺny district heard today the administrative charges brought against Belarusian Popular Front leader Aliaksei Yanukevich and deputy chairman of the Movement “For Freedom” Yury Hubarevich.

23.10.2015 Kitchen TV. New wave of migration: A challenge for Europe (video)

Do people living in Central and Western Europe equally perceive the situation with an increase in the number of refugees? What is the difference between the approaches to the refugee problem? The questions are answered in the new issue of the human rights video project Kitchen TV by vice-head of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" Valiantsin Stefanovich and a Dutch journalist Franka Hummels.

22.10.2015 Ex-presidential candidate Ales Mikhalevich still accused in 2010 ‘rioting case’

Former presidential candidate Ales Mikhalevich has lost an appeal sent to the Prosecutor’s Office to challenge an earlier refusal to drop criminal charges in the December 19, 2010 post-election protest case.

22.10.2015 24 October: Global landmarks are lit as part of the 'Turn the World UN Blue' Campaign

To help celebrate the UN's 70th anniversary, more than 200 iconic monuments, buildings, statues, bridges, and other landmarks in nearly 60 countries across the globe will be lit up blue on UN Day, 24 October, as part of an exciting new global campaign which helps unite global citizens and promote the message of peace, development and human rights.

21.10.2015 Babrujsk: Election officials refer to loyal observers in rejecting complaints

Babrujsk observers of the campaign "Right of Choice" have received first answers from the territorial election commission. The replies that came from the Pieršamajski district election commission are exactly the same, they differ only in the names of the claimants.

21.10.2015 BPF member fired for observing elections

Liudmila Tserashonkava, a former employee of a Viciebsk-based sports school, says her dismissal was politically motivated.

21.10.2015 Valiantsin Stefanovich comments on Lidziya Yarmoshyna’s statement

On October 19, head of the Central Election Commission Lidziya Yarmoshyna spoke in TUT.BY studio. Among other things, she commented on a series of video footage recorded at various polling stations. One of the videos was posted on the website of the Human Rights Center "Viasna".