Picks of the week
Brest blogger fined for "intrusive" behaviour towards policeman
On June 10, the judge of the Leninski District Court of Brest Aliaksandr Semianchuk fined blogger Siarhej Piatrukhin 30 base values (765 rubles) for disorderly conduct.
The basis for the completion of the administrative offense report served the alleged insult of deputy chief of the Leninski District Directorate of Internal Affairs of Brest Mikalai Samasiuk. It turned out that the blogger "in an intrusive manner" asked Samasiuk - who at the time was on duty - to accept a petition on an administrative offense. Mikalai Samasiuk found this behavior of Mr. Piatrukhin unacceptable and called special purpose police unit to detain him.
- Mikalai Samasiuk in court
Siarhej Piatrukhin, in turn, stated that Samasiuk used the administrative resource for personal purposes. Therefore, Mr. Piatrukhin is going to bring the policeman to trial for abuse of office.
Artist fined for performance in defense of Belarusian language
On June 10, artist Ales Pushkin was fined 8 base values for violation of the procedural arrangements of holding mass events. On June 6, he made a performance in defense of the Belarusian language on the steps of the Euroopt shop in the town of Krupki, where he was detained. Previously, Ales Pushkin had an incident with an employee of Euroopt. He, according to the artist, insulted the Belarusian language.
- Public at the hearing of Ales Pushkin
Nazi propaganda criminalized, extremist symbols outlawed in adopted draft law
On June 13, the House of Representatives adopted in second reading the draft law on strengthening the struggle against the propaganda of Nazism and extremism.
It criminalizes justification of Nazism, as well as provides administrative responsibility for possession or acquisition for the purpose of distribution of Nazi, terrorist and extremist symbols and paraphernalia.
Peaceful assembly organizers sue police for bad public maintenance service
The organizers of the Freedom Day in Minsk Volha Kavalkova, Ihar Barysau, Mikalai Kazlou, and Jury Hubarevich filed a lawsuit against the Main Internal Affairs Directorate of Minsk for termination of the contract for public order maintenance services during the rally and concert held on March 24, 2019.
The plaintiffs pointed out that during the celebration, at least two activists had been detained, moreover, the police forbade the participants to leave the area with white-red-white flags under threat of detention.
- The organizers of the Freedom Day rally on stage on March 24, 2019.
On these grounds, the organizers of the event ask the court to terminate the contract with the Chief Directorate of Internal Affairs for public order maintenance services during mass events. Earlier, for the refusal to pay for police services, they were fined 30 base values each.
Another death sentence executed in Belarus
On the verge of the II European Games in Minsk, Aliaksandr Zhylnikau is executed by shooting. The coordinator of the campaign “Human Rights Defenders Against Death Penalty in Belarus” Andrej Paluda was informed about it by the relatives of the convict.
- Death convicts Aliaksandr Zhylnikau and Viachaslau Sukharko during an appeal hearing at the Supreme Court. May 29, 2018
The fate of another defendant in the case, Viachaslau Sukharka, is unknown. However, the record shows that the sentences are carried out simultaneously for all sentenced to death within one case.
Meanwhile, the UN Human Rights Committee is in the process of considering an individual complaint of Aliaksandr Zhylnikau. The Committee addressed the Belarusian authorities with a request to take urgent measures and to avoid carrying out the death sentence prior to the consideration of the convict's complaint by the Committee.
