News on the topic: freedom of association
01.02.2008 Hrodna Oblast Court Turns down Activist’s Complaint
The resident of Masty Ales Zarembiuk received an answer from Hrodna oblast court. The activist appealed to the court against a huge fine, which was imposed on him for alleged organizing a street meeting of Masty citizens with the head of the For Freedom movement Aliaksandr Milinkevich. Zarembiuk was fined 525 000 rubles (about 244 US dollars).
29.01.2008 Less registered political parties and regional branches
The Ministry of Justice published a report about registered parties, trade unions, non-governmental organizations, and foundations in Belarus.
15.01.2008 Fired Not to Be Paid
The activist of the For Freedom movement, lawyer of the Kamunalnik enterprise Tatsiana Sadouskaya has been fired.
14.01.2008 Authorities Liquidate Entrepreneurs’ Association ‘Perspective’
The Ministry of Justice has sued to the Supreme Court for liquidation of the republican NGO Perspective. In the report placed at the web site of the ministry on 12 January it is stated that ‘a meeting of entrepreneurs was held on 10 January in Minsk. Among others, the leader of the republican public association Perspective Anatol Shumchanka has taken an active part in the meeting’.
08.01.2008 KGB Watches Foreign Trips of Belarusian Students
Agents of the KGB are interested in foreign trips of Belarusian students. They phone activists of youth democratic movement and offer them to meet in their offices or in the street.
08.01.2008 New Action in Support of Artur Finkevich
On 7 January a banner with a slogan 'Freedom to Finkevich!' was placed by Young Front activists in the center of Minsk at maxim Bahdanovich and Vera Kharuzhaya streets crossing.
08.01.2008 Criminal Case against Youth Activist Katsiaryna Salauiova
On 28 a criminal case under article 193.1 of the Criminal Code was brought against the youth activist Katsiaryna Salauiova. She is suspected of activities on behalf of an unregistered youth organization Young Front.
14.12.2007 Norwegian PEN-center and IPA: Freedom of Expression Is Violated in Belarus
During the last two years the government of Belarus did not improve the situation of the freedom of expression and continued pressurizing journalists and writers. This is the opinion presented in the report of representatives of the Norwegian PEN-center and the International Publishers’ Association on the results of their visits to Belarus in November 2007.
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.
13.12.2007 Human Rights Activists Remind Navumau about Political Prisoners
On 13 December a group of human rights activists consisting of the deputy chair of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) Ales Bialiatski, the human rights activists Alena Laptsionak, Valiantsin Stefanovich and Siarzhuk Sys passed to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus (MIA) thousands of origami cranes which had been prepared by the international human rights organization Amnesty International for liberation of the political prisoner Zmitser Dashkevich.
12.12.2007 Pickets in Salihorsk
On10 December in Salihorsk activists of the 'Young Front' and the 'For Freedom' movement organized a picket dedicated to the International Human Rights Day.
11.12.2007 Action in Support of Political Prisoners
About a dozen of slogans with the demands to release political prisoners of Belarus emerged almost simultaneously in the center of Minsk on 10 December. The rally was held between 5 and 6 p.m. The activists of the civil campaign For Freedom! timed it to the Human Rights Day.
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.
03.12.2007 ‘Young Front’ Reminds about Political Prisoners
Once again the 'Young Front' activists carried out a campaign to inform the population about the situation with political prisoners.
12.11.2007 Nazi Provocation at Reception of Polish Embassy
The Polish Embassy held a reception in the Hastsinny Dvor restaurant in Minsk on the occasion of the Polish Independence Day of 11 November. Activists of the Union of Poles from different regions of Belarus were invited to the reception. Suddenly a dozen of people dressed in some kind of a military uniform appeared at the entrance to the restaurant and started to shout out insulting words against the guests.
