The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

The Belarusian Association of Journalists has held a round table discussion on the construction of a nuclear power plant in Astravets district, Hrodna region. The meeting was aimed at attracting international attention to Belarus’ abidance by the Aarhus Convention. The seminar was attended by a number of experts and analysts, as well as journalists. The participants of the discussion arrived at a decision that the main issue is not the security of the construction, but the lack of experts in the field of nuclear engineering in Belarus.

On 16-17 June 2009, the European Union and Belarus held the first round of human rights dialogue in Prague.

The dialogue was held in a constructive and open atmosphere.

The dialogue allowed an exchange of views on the human rights situation both in Belarus and in the EU, focusing in particular on freedom of assembly and association, including labour rights, freedom of expression and information, freedom of thought, conscience and religion, combating different forms of intolerance and hate crimes, rights of migrants and persons belonging to minorities, combating trafficking of human beings, protection of different vulnerable groups, situation in prisons and detention facilities, death penalty.

Arrests for EU symbols go on even on the day of Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner visit.

In the evening June 21, activists of the civil campaign “European Belarus” Aleh Ladutska and Uladzimir Kumets were on the intersection of Plekhanov Street and Rokossovsky Avenue.

The guys were pasting posters calling to join the civil campaign “European Belarus”. Their actions were noticed by militiamen, who drove up, got out of the car, and searched the guys. They found some posters with EU symbols on Aleh Ladutska. After that the oppositionists were guarded to the Leninski district militia department of Minsk.

Benita Ferrero-Waldner, European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, started her visit to Minsk with a meeting with representatives of the opposition and the civil society.

In the morning June 22, Benita Ferrero-Waldner met with Stanislau Shushkevich, former chairman of the Supreme Council of Belarus and leader of the Belarusian Social Democratic Hramada; former political prisoner Alyaksandr Kazulin; head of the United Civil Party Anatol Lyabedzka; leader of the Belarusian Party of Communists Syarhei Kalyakin; deputy head of the BPF party Vintsuk Vyachorka.