News for January 2016
20.01.2016 Freelancer in Homel Gets the Second Fine in a Month
On January 20, the court of Karma district (Homel region) fined freelancer Kastus Zhukouski for 30 basic amounts.
20.01.2016 Vitebsk Investigative Committee Dismissed Allegations of Beating by Police Officer
A student of the veterinary academy from Vitebsk Pavel Rasliakou appealed for help to the HRC Viasna: the student was beaten by investigators of the department of the interior of the Kastrychnitski district administration in the process of questioning about a case of theft. An official inquiry into his complaint failed to establish the facts he outlined and dismissed the demand to initiate a criminal case.
19.01.2016 Activists on Trial for Remembrance Action (Updated)
On January 19, activists Ales Makajeu and Maxim Viniarski went on trial for violating administrative article 23.34 (violating the procedure of holding mass events).
19.01.2016 Public Discussion over Church Construction Goes Unnoticed
On January 18, the administration of the Pershamajski district held a public discussion over the construction of a new church in one of the green zones of the city, without attracting wider public. “We are not obliged to invite anyone,” said an official representative.
18.01.2016 Authorities Want to Deprive Ales Bialiatski of Place of Residence
Ales Bialiatski, the head of the human rights center Viasna, has received a ruling from the department of enforcement of judgments that a part of his flat (in which he lives with his family) falls under arrest.
15.01.2016 EFJ president: It is worrying that the government is renewing this bad practice with a new wave of prosecution against freelance journalists
Belarus continues its bad practice by handing over the first fine of the year on 13 January to freelance journalist, Larysa Shchyrakova, for working with “foreign media”. Following the ruling, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) have called for an immediate appeal of the ruling and urged the government to scrap the existing law.
15.01.2016 Human rights defender Andrei Paluda: Death convict Eduard Lykau executed
Andrei Paluda, coordinator of the campaign “Human Rights Defenders Against the Death Penalty in Belarus” Andrei Paluda has told in an interview with naviny.by how he perceives being labeled a ‘defender of murderers’ and what he thinks can make Lukashenka abolish capital punishment.
15.01.2016 EU reiterates its call on Belarus to impose moratorium on death penalty
The European External Action Service (EEAS) has issued a statement reiterating the European Union’s call on the Belarusian government to impose a moratorium on the death penalty in connection with a new death sentence in the country.
15.01.2016 UN Human Rights Committee to consider complaint by Salihorsk human rights defender
A complaint submitted by human rights activist Leanid Markhotka to challenge a ban on a street protest imposed by the authorities of Salihorsk in December 2014 will be considered by the UN Human Rights Council.
15.01.2016 Homieĺ court fines journalist for ‘illegal production of media products’
On January 12, the Homieĺ District Court sentenced local journalist Larysa Shchyrakova to a fine of 4.6 mln rubles on charges of violating Article 22.9 of the Administrative Code (illegal manufacture of media products, and working without accreditation for foreign media).
13.01.2016 UN Human Rights Committee registers complaint in ‘father for daughter’ case
The UN Human Rights Committee has registered a complaint submitted by Aliaksandr Protska, a resident of Homieĺ who attempted to stage a protest against the charges his daughter faced for alleged human trafficking. The communication has been sent to the State for comments on the merits.
12.01.2016 BAJ Appeals to President's Administration Regarding Persecution of Freelancers
The Belarusian Association of Journalists sent a request to the President’s Administration with the view to clarifying the reasons for the renewed persecution against some journalists under article 22.9.
12.01.2016 Exiled human rights defender Alena Tankachova asks to reduce period of expulsion
Human rights defender Alena Tankachova, who was deported from Belarus in February 2015, has written to the Minsk city police department asking to reduce the period of entry ban and remove her from the blacklist.
12.01.2016 Prisoner attempts to kill self to protest torture
Yahor Pratasenia, 20, has committed a suicide attempt in the Žodzina jail to protest torture and abuse during the investigation and detention, according to Larysa Zhyhar, representative of the public initiative “Mothers’ Movement 328”.
12.01.2016 Another man sentenced to death in Belarus
On January 5, the Minsk Regional Court pronounced this year’s first death sentence in the case of Henadz Yakavitski, a resident of the town of Vilejka, who was charged with “murder committed with extreme cruelty” (Article 139 of the Criminal Code).
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