News for December 2005

29.12.2005 The Committee for Protection of Journalists (CPJ) is concerned over the deportation of Agnieszka Romaszewska, a Polish journalist, from Belarus

28.12.2005 Review of human rights violations in Belarus, December 2005

24.12.2005 Belarusian Union of Businessmen – in 2005 Belarus lost 30 thousand businessmen

24.12.2005 Zianon Pazniak proposed popular vote

24.12.2005 Authorities want to accuse Mr. Darafeev, a member of the initiative group of the united opposition candidate, of the Vitsebsk explosions.

24.12.2005 Authorities step up pressure on the oppositionists – criminal action brought against the activist Paval Madshara

23.12.2005 The cult of Stalin gets back to Belarus, Stalinist dictatorship is highly praised

23.12.2005 Activists will be tried for supporting the independent press in Baranavichy

23.12.2005 Independent trade union newspaper Salidarnasts to be suspended

23.12.2005 School of Human Rights Declared

23.12.2005 Hrodna Regional Court chaired by Judge Pipko decided to force liquidation of the Hrodna City Public Association “Higher Belarusian School Association”.

23.12.2005 Uladzimier, the political prisoner Valiery Lievanieuski’s son, has been detained

23.12.2005 A youth movement activist detained in the street in Pinsk

23.12.2005 The health of the businessman Mikalai Autukhovich kept in prison hospital remains unknown: the official sources refuse to disclose any information regarding his health

23.12.2005 Supreme Economic Court reinstates enormous penalties against the Belarusian Helsinki Committee.

23.12.2005 Committee to Protect Journalists

23.12.2005 Belarus Update Vol. 9, No. 21 December 15 – December 21, 2005

22.12.2005 The UN Committee for Human Rights recognized as illegal the administrative punishment inflicted on the human rights activist and journalist Uladzimir Vialichkin, and called on the Belarusian authorities not to violate the rights of their citizens.

22.12.2005 Zubr activists detained in Homel

21.12.2005 In the opinion of the police the figure “16” is aimed at inflicting damage to the state and civil order

20.12.2005 Unknowns threaten the family of a BPF Party activist in Homel

20.12.2005 Catholic Priest Robert Kszyvitski, a Polish national, was refused renewal of the visa for the year 2006.

20.12.2005 The Protestant community Light of the World faces liquidation

20.12.2005 Opposition proposes visa sanctions against the KGB chief

20.12.2005 The embassies of France and Germany made statements regarding the Visa Blackmail program shown by Belarusian TV on Sunday

20.12.2005 The journalist of the independent newspaper was not allowed to attend a city executive committee session

20.12.2005 Authorities continue to mop up the information field

20.12.2005 Independent newspaper Narodnaia Volia arranges an alternative system of subscription

20.12.2005 Babruisk administrative case against Young Front activists remains open

19.12.2005 The leader of the unregistered non-political organization “Partnership” Mikola Astreika will have to serve his sentence in the special detention center