14.06.2011 Hrodna: participants of protest action at Bruzgi sentenced to huge fines

According to information from the Hrodna Region Court, about 15 cases were considered on 14 June. The exact number of cases and amounts of fines is still unknown. Participants of the protest rally against the unlawful customs fee, held at the border crossing point Bruzgi on 12 June, were fined 2,450,000-2,625,000 rubles.

14.06.2011 Hrodna: journalist Ihar Bantsar detained

Ihar Bantsar’s wife Anzhalika Arehva has informed Euroradio about his detention. According to her, policemen have not informed about the reason for the arrest. Ihar’s whereabouts are unknown now.

13.06.2011 Spontaneous protest of drivers at Bruzgi border crossing point

The spontaneous rally of protest against a new customs fee took place on 12 June evening at the border crossing point Bruzgi in the Hrodna region. The action was dispersed by the riot police with the use of tear gas and police gear. 15 protesters were detained.

10.06.2011 Minsk: police detained journalist with a metal detector

Journalist Aliaksandr Acharetny was detained in the Minsk metro. According to him, the police attention was attracted not only by the T-shirt with the image of the Chechen leader Kadyrov, but also with the metal detector he was carrying in a box.

09.06.2011 “Revolutions through social networks” held in Homel, Salihorsk, Mazyr and Babruisk

In Homel the protest action took place at the central square of the city at 7 p.m. on 8 June. More than 100 people answered the appeal of the Revolution through social network community in the social network Vkontakte by coming to the action. The majority of the action participants were youngsters, but there were also some elderly people. Following the conditions of the action the people brought no symbols and chanted no slogans. They just stood peacefully, talking to one another. The police didn't come to the action.

08.06.2011 Minsk: trial of detained participants of Stop Petrol! action

Participants of the drivers’ protest action are standing trial at the Tsentralny District Court of Minsk. One of the detained, Pavel Hruzdzilovich, informed about it by SMS. He didn’t specify how many detained will be there, informs Radio Liberty.

08.06.2011 European Belarus activist detained in Minsk metro

Activist of the campaign European Belarus Katsiaryna Yerusalimskaya was detained in the Pushkinskaya metro station last night.

08.06.2011 Smaliavichy: detention of trade union activist Mikalai Pakhabau

At about 10 a.m. Mikalai Pakhabau, Chair of the Barysau town organization of the Belarusian Independent Trade Union of Radio Electronic Industry, was stopped by the road police near the town of Smaliavichy.

06.06.2011 Authorities harass internet activists

Ivan Stasiuk, a civil activist from Brest, was detained on the Belarusian-Polish border and guarded to the local KGB department. The Belarusian border guards took away Ivan’s passport and told him that the document would be returned to him after a “prophylactic talk”.

28.05.2011 Human rights defenders detained ahead of prison conditions seminar

Seven human rights defenders were detained this morning at the BPF Minsk office, where a seminar on detention conditions was expected to take place.

27.05.2011 Aksana Pachobut and two BAJ members detained in Hrodna

The reason for the detention was making a video near “a secure object”.

18.05.2011 Police disrupts action against homophobia in Minsk

Activists of LGBT movement planned to conduct this action together with "Young Assembly" activists in Minsk.

16.05.2011 "European Belarus" activist Aliaksandr Kudlaeu and his son detained

After the search he was detained together with his son Ihar and delivered to the Moscow district department of internal affairs. The reasons for detention are unknown yet. The circumstances are being clarified, the human rights center "Viasna" informs.

16.05.2011 Young Front activist Mikalai Dzemidzenka detained

On 14 May the police detained Mikalai Dzemidzenka, a Deputy Chair of the Young Front. It happened at about 2 p.m. near the Maskouski bus station, where he had an appointment.

16.05.2011 Homel: opposition activist Uladzimir Niapomniashchykh detained

The oppositionist was detained in the centrer of Homel and guarded to the Tsentralny District Police Department. He managed to tell Vasil Paliakou, Chair of the Homel regional organization of the United Civil Party, about his detention.The oppositionist was detained in the centrer of Homel and guarded to the Tsentralny District Police Department. He managed to tell Vasil Paliakou, Chair of the Homel regional organization of the United Civil Party, about his detention.

During the detention Mr. Niapomniashchykh was wearing a badge I 'll buy instable currency and a T-shirt with the inscription For Belarus without Lukashenka.

Procuracy wants to interrogate Ivan Shyla concerning the terrorist act in the Minsk metro

Uladzimir Shyla, father of the young activist, was informed about it by Ihar Masliak, investigator of especially important cases in the Minsk region. On 11 May the investigator phoned to the Shylas and asked about the whereabouts of the elder of the Shyla brothers, Ivan. However, he refused to tell the reasons for his interest. Though it is not a secret that Ivan studies in Poland, the investigator was very eager to receive a written confirmation from the parents.

On 12 May Masliak came to their home and told that the investigation was looking for Ivan Shyla in connection with the blast in the Minsk metro. At first he wanted to force the father to give a non-disclosure undertaking. However, he failed to determine Uladzimir's status in the case, and therefore had to refuse from his plan.

The investigator also said that the procuracy may send a request for interrogation of Ivan Shyla by the Polish police.

“The procuracy also wants Ivan to come to them on his arrival in Belarus. I promised to ask him about it, if the investigator guarantees that my son won't be detained on the border because of “staging a fight”, as it has happened to another political draftee, Ales Kalita, who also served in the same military unit with my son and the suspect in the terrorist act.”

It's worth mentioning that this day the parents also received a summons to the Salihorsk District Procuracy. However, the status of their son and the case on which they were summonsed weren't specified. It may seem unimportant to someone, but this fact puts to doubt the whole investigation into the terrorist act in the Minsk metro, as officers of the procuracy can hardly investigate such a case properly if they are unable even to exercise standard documents in conformity with the legal standards.

Human Rights Chronicle