News on the topic: political persecution
30.08.2007 Preventive Detention in Aziarets Settlement on the Eve of Lukashenka’s Visit
Today, on 30 August, Zhdanovichy court sentenced an activist of the civil campaign For Freedom! from Aziarets Yauhen Silvanovich to five days of jail. The activist was detained in the evening of 29 August by workers of Zhdanovichy district police department.
30.08.2007 Homel: Youth Activist Declares Dry Hunger-strike
At 2 p.m. on 29 August Chyhunachny district court of Homel sentenced a member of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party Kanstantsin Zhukouski to 5 days of jail and 930 000 (about 430 US dollars) rubles fine.
30.08.2007 Minsk City Court Leaves Verdict to Kanstantsin Lukashou in Force
In the evening of 28 August Minsk city court left unchanged the verdict to Kanstantsin Lukashou, two years of conditional imprisonment for alleged resistance to the police.
30.08.2007 Criminal Cases Can Be Brought against More Young Front Members
The prosecutor’s office of Baranavichy has brought a criminal case on the fact of making political graffiti on the walls of Baranavichy city court.
28.08.2007 Pavel Seviarynets Is Allowed to Have Radio, but Prohibited to Meet with Mother
On 19 August the youth leader Pavel Seviarynets was detained in Brest during presentation of his book Letters from Forest. On 22 August he was sentenced to 15 days of jail.
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.
