News on the topic: political persecution
28.08.2007 Aliaksei Shydlouski in Jail again
On 27 August the police detained a youth leader Aliaksei Shydlouski and took him to the remand jail in Akrestin Street in Minsk.
24.08.2007 Youth Activist Pavel Baranouski Fined for Posting Stickers
Pershamaiski district administrative commission of Minsk has fined the youth activist Pavel Baranouski 186 000 rubles for posting stickers. This was qualified as violation of paragraph 46 of the Rules of Well-keeping and maintenance of the city of Minsk. In the commission’s ruling it was stated that ‘Baranouski does not deny the fact of violation. He has explained that he had posted stickers because he wanted Belarus to be a part of Europe.’
24.08.2007 Amnesty International Expresses Its Concern with Persecution of Youth Activists in Belarus
Amnesty International is deeply concerned by reports that the harassment, detention and imprisonment of youth activists by the Belarusian authorities has intensified in recent weeks. The organization believes that the clampdown forms part of the government’s continuing attempts to intimidate and obstruct youth activists, and civil society as a whole, from exercising their rights to freedom of assembly, association and expression.
23.08.2007 Tatsiana Seviarynets Refused of Rehabilitation at Work
At court she tried to prove that she had a signed absence leave for 26-31 March, when she was absent from work. Tatsiana’s proxy Kastus Seviarynets drew that attention of the College Board to the fact that the administration of the district education department had used the inaccuracies existing in some acts of labor legislation in order to fire an opposition-minded teacher. Tatsiana Seviarynets also considers her firing politically motivated, because the chair of the district education department many times reproached her for oppositional views.
23.08.2007 Trial of ‘Young Front’ Activist Ivan Shyla Appointed on 4 September
At 10 a.m. on 4 September Salihorsk town court will consider a criminal case against the activist of an unregistered organization Young Front Ivan Shyla. 16-year-old Shyla is charged with activity on behalf of unregistered organization (article 193.1 of the Criminal Code).
22.08.2007 Consideration of Criminal Case against Young Front Activist Nasta Azarka Appointed on 4 September
HRC Viasna learned that on 4 September Niasvizh district court will consider the criminal case against the Young Front activist Nasta Azarka. The case was brought under article 193.1 (activity on behalf of unregistered organization).
22.08.2007 No Place for ‘Opposition’ In Slavonic Gymnasium
In Babruisk the daughter of an activist of For Freedom! movement Ales Chyhir was not transferred to the 5th grade. Instead Chyhir received a letter from the headmaster. In this letter the father was proposed to take his daughter to another school. According to the official version Alisa Chyhir did not pass the entrance exams to the senior grades of the gymnasium. However, there are no examination minutes and orders for the establishment of the examination commission. Mr. Chyhir has a 13-year record as a teacher and knows all details of the educational process.
21.08.2007 Aliaksei Shein’s Complaint Turned down
Minsk city court turned down an appeal of a co-chairman of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party Aliaksei Shein against a verdict of Frunzenski district court of Minsk sentencing the activist to 15 days of jail under article 23.34 of the Adminstrative Code (violation of the order of holding mass actions or pickets).
20.08.2007 Brest: Police Disrupt Meeting with Pavel Seviarynets
On 19 August in Brest the police detained participants of a meeting with a youth leader Pavel Seviarynets. It happened in 30 minutes after the beginning of the meeting. At first the people heard somebody knocking on the door. Then somebody started breaking it out. Shouting: ‘There is a thieves’ meeting! Hands up! I will shoot!’ a group of persons in mufti with a lieutenant-colonel at the head burst into the BPF office rented in a small cafe. About 20 policemen blocked the cafe, detained 32 persons and lead them out with hands on the heads.
20.08.2007 Russian Nazis from Vitsebsk Try to Intimidate Local Democrats
At the end of the last week Vitsebsk activists received threat letters signed by Vitsebsk branch of Russian National Unity (RNE). It is already the second attempt to intimidate the democratic society of Vitsebsk.
17.08.2007 Mikita Sasim Arrested for 10 Days
The press-center of Charter’97 managed to talk to the youth leader Mikita Sasim on mobile phone. Sasim said that he was detained by people in mufti. They seized him, twisted his arms and threw into a car. They behaved very rudely, tore his shirt, hit him in the back and legs several times and threatened to beat him.
17.08.2007 Ivatsevichy: Police Detain Participants of Summer Camp
In the morning of 17 August fifteen members of the BPF Youth headed for the town of Ivatsevichy, from which they planned to come to Koidanava. When they arrived to Ivatsevichy, the police came up to them at the railway station and said that ‘a mobile phone had been stolen’. Then they copied the passport data of all participants of the event. A member of the BPF Youth Andrus Ihnatovich has been detained.
15.08.2007 Chair of Shklou BPF Office Stays behind Bars
The chair of Shklou office of Belarusian People’s Front Party Aliaksandr Fiodarau will stay in jail, at least till the end of the investigation. The prosecutor of Shklou district Ihar Sitnikou denied the lawyer’s petition for change of the restraint to his client.
15.08.2007 Prosecutor’s Office and KGB Put Eye on BUNT
Minsk city prosecutor’s office summons for interrogations members of an unregistered movement BUNT. Human rights activists do not rule out that soon a new criminal case against youth activists can be brought.
15.08.2007 Kletsk: Criminal Case against Underground Press
Criminal charges have been brought against the underground publisher of Boiki Kletsk bulletin, democratic activist Siarhei Panamarou. That happened several hours after Panamarou’s submitting an application for a picket in support for the political prisoners.
