31.10.2008 Search in BPF activist apartment

Police of Drahichhyn department burst into an apartment of Uladzimir Kazyeka, member of the Belarusian Popular Front party.

Uladzimir said on phone that militiamen were waiting for him and forced him open the door. According to him, the policemen found around 2,000 copies of “Tut i Tsyaper” newspaper during the search, RFE/RL reports.

31.10.2008 Underage activist intimidated by distrainment

Recently an underage activist of Lida branch of the Young Front Raman Tunkel was visited by officers of the court. They threatened to his parents to distrain property.

They promise to do so for non-payment of the fine on the administrative case, the website of the Young Front informs.

As we have informed, in July the 17-year-old Raman Tunkel was detained when he was making graffiti “There is no stopping to Young Front!” An administrative report was drawn up against the activist on charges relating Article 10.9 “intentional destruction or voluntary waste of property”. The court sentenced the young man to 30 basic units of fine (1,050,000 Br), and additional 260,000 Br for repainting of the building.

30.10.2008 Police confiscate 2500 invitations to Dziady

Activist of the “Youth of the BPF” Anton Koipish was detained in Viasnyanka Minsk city district in the evening October 29. He was dropping invitations for an authorised rally on Dziady day on Sunday November 2 in mail boxes.

Anton was taken to the Centralny district militia department by a militia car. The guy was questioned by senior lieutenant Dzmitry Kirylchanka. He threatened the boy with an administrative case on article 23.34 of the Administrative Code. However, Anton Koipish was set free in a while, but 2500 leaflets inviting to Dziady were confiscated, www.pbnf.org reports.

30.10.2008 Disabled person without legs punished for streamer “Who has stolen my benefits?”

The court has punished wheelchaired Uladzimir Vusikau for conducting a picket near the building of Mahiliou city executive committee.

29.10.2008 Oppositionists detained in Pinsk for action of solidarity with political prisoner

Four activists of democratic movement were detained in Pinsk for a picket of solidarity with political prisoner Alyaksandr Barazenka.

The activists carried a banner “Freedom for Political Prisoner Alyaksandr Barazenka!” at central Kirov Square, RFE/RL reports.

28.10.2008 New political prisoner appeared in Belarus

Statement of the Human Rights Center Viasna in conjunction with the arrest of Alexander Barazenka

28.10.2008 “Process of the Fourteen”: new political prisoner

On Monday, October 27th, youth activist Alexander Barazenka was put in Valadarskaha detention center. The young man is one of the figures in the criminal case for the entrepreneurs’ rally on January 10th.

Let us remind you, the case received an unofficial name of the “Process of the Fourteen”. However, only thirteen people appeared in the dock. Student of Wroclaw University Alexander Barazenka decided to stay in Poland and not to come for the trial.

27.10.2008 “Borisovskiye Novosti” Facing a Defamation Case

The «Borisovskiye Novosti» newspaper editorial has received a court claim from Viera Pratasievich, the local state-owned «Adzinstva» newspaper’s Editor-in-chief. (It should be mentioned that the periodical has been founded by Barysau District Executive Committee.)

27.10.2008 Brest customs officers confiscate 10 issues of “Arche” magazine to conduct expertise

Brest customs officers confiscated 10 issues of a Belarusian nongovernmental magazine “Arche” yesterday. They were meant for Polish authors of the edition and were supposed to be presented to Polish libraries. A customs officer Renata Nyadbayeva suspected that “the information printed in the magazine may harm the national interests of the Republic of Belarus”.

25.10.2008 Independent newspaper summoned to court at vertical of power’s suit

The editorial office of the independent newspaper “Borisovskiye novosti” has received a summons to the court from the editor-in-chief of a local newspaper “Edinstvo”, which founder is Barysau regional executive committee.

The editor-in-chief of “Edinstvo” Vera Pratasevich found that the article “Pre-election concoction, or another lie” published in “Borisovskiye novosti”, her honour and dignity were injured, the press-service of the Belarusian Association of Journalists informs.

24.10.2008 Minster of Information didn’t like article about “elections” titled “Satan’s Ball” 1

Editor and founder of “Borisovskie Novosti” newspaper Anatol Bukas sent a written explanation to the Ministry of Information in the connection with an article in his newspaper.

24.10.2008 “Gazeta Wyborcza” Journalist Accredited at the Belarus’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Andrei Pachobut, an independent journalist from Hrodna has received a temporary accreditation at the Belarus’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a correspondent of «Gazeta Wyborcza» daily, published in Poland.

24.10.2008 Election commission rejects all complaints contesting parliamentary election

The central election commission on October 24 rejected all five complaints contesting the official results of September’s House of Representatives elections.

24.10.2008 Amnesty International representative attempts to meet with heads of law-enforcement ministries

Official representative of the human rights organization Amnesty International Heather McGill will visit Belarus. During the visit she plans to carry out a number of meetings with staff of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Justice, the Supreme Court, and other bodies.

23.10.2008 The Belarusian Independent Newspapers Outboard of Subscription Campaign Again

«Belposha» state monopolist’s enterprise official Aksana Chychko has informed the BAJ Press Service that a subscription campaign 2009 was started in Belarus on October 15, 2008. However, just another time, a number of non-state social and political newspapers were deprived of possibility to get into the «Belposhta» subscription catalogue.