The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for December 2009

09.12.2009 61st Anniversary of Universal Declaration of Human Rights shows: we should protect our rights everywhere and always

Our country has undertaken before the whole word to respect, protect and guarantee human rights. To which extent these international undertakings are implemented? Let’s focus on one of the most important stances of the Declaration set out in Article 3: ‘Everyone has the right to life, freedom and security of person’.

09.12.2009 A return to NKVD practice

On 8 December the national security commission of the Chamber of Representatives held an extended sitting for discussion of some amendments to the laws by the deputies and invited specialists.

09.12.2009 Hrodna: another human rights picket banned

On 9 December the human rights defender Viktar Sazonau applied to Hrodna city executive committee as he didn’t receive an answer to his application for picket within the legal terms.

09.12.2009 MFA denied accreditation to ‘BelSat’

According to Mikhail Yanchuk, head of Minsk office Polish TV channel BelSat, the correspondent station of BelSat in Minsk was denied registration by the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

09.12.2009 Police confiscated books from Dashkevich’s apartment after his abduction

Policemen seized about 50 books and 200 leaflets from an apartment of the Young Front leader.

08.12.2009 Delegation of human rights defenders in Geneva

The head of the Human Rights Center Viasna Ales Bialiatski, the deputy head of Viasna Valiantsin Stefanovich and the head of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee Aleh Hulak have come to Zheneva within the frames of preparation to presentation at the UN Human Rights Council of the Universal Periodical Report on Belarus.

08.12.2009 College Board of Supreme Economic Court turned down complaint of ‘New Life’ Church

The Supreme Economic Court turned down the complaint of the Protestants against the confiscation of their temple (former cowshed that was reconstructed at their own cost) and a large piece of land by an earlier verdict of the Supreme Economic Court.

08.12.2009 Why do authorities fear pickets on anniversary of Universal Declaration of Human Rights?

These days Belarusian human rights defenders have received about ten denials in authorization of the pickets they intended to hold for marking the 61st anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

08.12.2009 BCD activist Yury Kazak faces criminal charges

On 7 December in Navahradak the activist of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party Yury Kazak was given official charges under Article 339, part 1 of the Criminal Code – hooliganism. The reason for it was his detention on 7 November, the day of October Revolution, when somebody smeared the local monument to Lenin with green paint.

08.12.2009 BCD activist Ales Halavan decided not to return to Belarus

After participation in a the seminar of Young Christian Democrats in RigaAles Halavan, 27-year-old Vitsebsk activist of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party, a leader of the youth democratic coalition of Vitsebsk region, left in the hotel his passport and a written statement of his decision not to return to Belarus.

08.12.2009 Homel: human rights defenders sue city administration

Homel human rights defenders Leanid Sudalenka and Anatol Paplauny filed a lawsuit to the Tsentralny district court of Homel against the numerous refusals of Homel city executive committee to authorize the meetings, pickets and other mass events that were organized by them, after the authorities banned to them a picket dedicated to the 61st anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

08.12.2009 President of European Parliament condemns abductions in Belarus

Repressions against opposition put in question the relations of the European Union with the official Minsk.

08.12.2009 Investigation into Autukhovich’s case extended for another month

On 8 December the term of investigation into the case of Vaukavysk entrepreneurs expired. The latest charge filed against the political prisoners is preparation to terrorist attack. Radio Racyja was told about the course of investigation by Autukhovich’s lawyer Pavel Sapelka.

08.12.2009 Minsk: Anarchists attack ‘Shangri La’ casino

Last weekend a group of Minsk anarchists attacked the VIP-casino in Kirov Street.

07.12.2009 Statement by the Human Rights Center Viasna concerning the kidnapping of civil activists

The Human Rights Center Viasna would like to express its deep concern over the purposeful kidnappings of youth activists by representatives of security and law enforcement agencies. Over the past year, a number of leaders and activists of Belarusian youth organizations and movements, including Artur Finkevich, Nasta Palazhanka, Dzianis Karnou, Uladzimir Lemesh, Zmitser Dashkevich and Yauhen Afnahel, have been repeatedly kidnapped by representatives of security and law enforcement agencies.