News on the topic: political persecution
07.02.2008 Zhaleznichenka’s Mother Sues Military Committee
Recently a public activist and A-level student Zmitser Zhaleznichenka has been called up for military service. His mother, Ala Zhaleznichenka, is convinced that it was done with violations of the law. That’s why she decided to sue against the military committee.
07.02.2008 Polatsk: Search in Young Front Activist’s Apartment
Agents of Polatsk KGB office are searching the apartment of a Young Front activist Katsiaryna Salauyova. The search takes place within the frames of the criminal case that was brought against her for ‘participation in underground organization’ (article 193.1 of the Criminal Code).
07.02.2008 Fired from School for Membership in United Civil Party
Recently Aliaksandr Halavach has been fired from Minsk school #207 for membership in the youth wing of the United Civil Party. He said that he was summonsed by the schoolmaster Katsiaryna Sauchuk.
05.02.2008 Ales Bialiatski: ‘One can speak of normalization of relations between the authorities and their political opponents only after the release of all political prisoners!’
On 5 February the college board of Mahiliou oblast court considered the cassation complaint on a criminal case against Artur Finkevich and reversed the verdict of Kastrychnitski district court of Mahiliou, according to which Finkevich was to have serve 1,5 years of jail for ‘evasion from serving his corrective labor term’.
05.02.2008 Foreign Travel Restrictions to Dashkevich, Shyla and Liabedzka
On Saturday, 2 February the Belarusian border guards did not let abroad the leader of the Young Front Zmitser Daskhevich and a Salihorsk member of this organization Ivan Shyla.
01.02.2008 Cassation Complaint of Artur Finkevich to Be Considered 5 February
This day the court will consider two complaints, one of which was filed by Artur and the other – by his lawyer Hanna Bakhtsina. It is already known that the trial will be closed, by there is no precise information whether Artur Finkevich will be taken to it or everything will take place in his absence.
14.01.2008 Authorities Demand Explanations from Political Parties
The Justice Ministry of Belarus has demanded explanations from the United Civil Party, the Party of Communists Belarusian and Belarusian People’s Front concerning the participation of their leaders in the unsanctioned protest rally of small businessman on 10 January. Such explanations must be given to the ministry by 14 January.
10.01.2008 Viachaslau Siwchyk Sentenced to 10 Days of Jail
At about 7.10 p.m. on 9 January in the center of Minsk the police detained an opposition activist Viachaslau Siwchyk. According to his mother, Halina Siwchyk, he was accused of dirty swearing and guarded to Tsentralny district police department of Minsk. This night he spent in the remand prison in Akrestsin Street.
14.12.2007 Unlawful Restriction of Foreign Travels to Anatol Liabedzka
The chairman of the United Civil Party Anatol Liabedzka cannot receive a permissive seal for foreign travels for a month already. He believes that it is KGB who sanctioned this restriction.
14.12.2007 Homel Oblast UCP Office Searched again
At about 12.20 a.m. four workers of Homel oblast KGB office came to the private house where Homel city branch of the United Civil Party rents an office.
14.12.2007 Brest: Participants of Anti-Putin Picket Get Imprisoned
A human rights activist Uladzimir Vialichkin told RFE/RL that the riot police detained several public activists near the General consulate of Russia in Brest.
14.12.2007 Participants of Another Action of Protest against Putin’s Visits Detained in Niamiha Street
Actions 'For Independent Belarus' continue in Minsk. Another action against Vladimir Putin’s visit to Belarus was organized at 6.20 p.m. on 13 December. Several dozens of activists of the civil campaign 'For Freedom!' with a banner ‘Putin, Go Home!’ came out to the Minsk center in Niamiha Street. The young people unfurled European, national and official Belarusian flags. They chanted ‘Putin, Go Home!’ ‘Independence!’, ‘No unions with Russia!’, ‘It’s not Russia here!’ and tore portraits of Putin into pieces.
11.12.2007 Politicial Prisoner Finkevich to Be Tried on 20 December
According to the information of Mahiliou human rights activist Barys Bukhel, the consideration of the criminal case against Artur Finkevich was appointed on 20 December. The trial will start at 10.30 a.m. The court has directed to Mahiliou state university a request to provide an interpreter into Belarusian.
11.12.2007 Viktar Ivashkevich: Trial Delayed
The trial over the deputy head of the Belarusian People’s Front party Viktar Ivashkevich has started today in the court of Tsentralny district of Minsk.
10.12.2007 Masty: Ales Zarembiuk Accused of Unauthorized Picketing
As Ales Zarembiuk told Radio 'Racyja'¸ on 10 December he received a telephone call from the senior inspector of the law and order section of Masty district police department Aliaksandr Danilchyk. The inspector asked the activist to come to the police department. He explained that he had brought to the prosecutor’s office Zarembiuk’s explanatory note concerning a recent meeting of Aliaksandr Milinkevich with the citizens of Masty and the prosecutor’s office ordered him to compose on Zarembiuk a report for organization of unauthorized meeting. Ales Zarembiuk refused to come to the police department without official summons.
