The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for February 2011

15.02.2011 Nasta Loika spent 15 minutes at military counter-intelligence

After receiving many telephone calls from an investigator of the military counter-intelligence, human rights defender Nasta Loika agreed to come for a talk on 15 Febraury. Though the investigator said he would pass her an official writ after her coming to his office, he didn't keep his promise.

15.02.2011 Students are forced to sign statement condemning EU sanctions

The statement points that students stood against the sanctions which were prepared with the participation of the Belarusian opposition. 'Oppositionists were often guided not by the interests of the Belarusian people, but by their own ones. We are convinced that these people satisfy their ambitions at the expense of discredit of their home land. Moreover, we sincerely regret that the image of the Republic of Belarus is formed only on the basis of words of the persons who aren't known, trusted and respected in our country,' reads the document.

15.02.2011 Hrodna: search at Mikola Lemianouski's apartment

On 14 February the police searched the apartment of a member of the Belarusian Popular Front Mikola Lemianouski. The search was connected to the recent detention of his daughter, Veranika, who had been allegedly posting leaflets together with another young activist, Nadzeya Krapivina.

15.02.2011 Vadzim Kabanchuk sentenced to 10 days of arrest

In the morning of 15 February Vadzim's mother, Taisiya Kabanchuk, was waiting for him at the Maskouski District Court of Minsk, where he was to have been taken for a trial. His friends phoned to all Minsk courts trying to find about the time and place of the trial. Only in the afternoon they were informed that the trial had already taken place, Vadzim had been sentenced to 10 days of arrest for participation in the 19 December protest action in central Minsk, and guarded to the delinquents' isolation center in Akrestsin Street.

15.02.2011 Official warning instead of flowers

On 19 December Tatsiana Shambalava, an electioneering agent of Vital Rymasheuski, was detained at the protest action in central Minsk and sentenced to 10 days of arrest. She kept a hunger-strike during the whole arrest term. However, after her release she was required to pay for 'getting meals three times a day at the expense of the state'.

15.02.2011 Professor Heorhi Lepin 'questioned as witness'

On 14 February Professor Heorhi Lepin, detained during the protest action of 19 December in Minsk, came to the Kastrychnitski District Police Department of Minsk.

15.02.2011 Young Front activist Zmitser Yasevich summonsed for interrogation

Representatives of the KGB called Zmitser Yasevich several days ago and invited him for a conversation. Zmitser refused to go there without an official summon, RFE/RL informs.

14.02.2011 Human rights defender Ales Bialiatski summonsed for a ‘talk’

On 14 February afternoon the Chairperson of the Human Rights Center Viasna Ales Bialiatski received a telephone call from a man who introduced himself as Pavel Yeliseyeu, Deputy Chairperson of the department of supervision over the respect to rights and freedoms of citizens of the General Procuracy of the Republic of Belarus.

14.02.2011 Sleep deprivation torture in Valadarski Street jail

Cell #69 houses 13 persons, whereas usually 22-24 inmates are kept there at once. As a result, they have to sleep in turn. However, the people who get in the cell aren't included in the 'sleeping queue' for the first two days.

14.02.2011 Young Front activists didn't reach KGB

The Young Front members who wanted to congratulate their imprisoned comrades on St. Valentine's Day were detained on the way to the main KGB office in Minsk. Among the detainees there was the Deputy Chairperson of the Young Front, Mikalai Dzemidzenka, who was carrying large red heard-shaped postcards.

14.02.2011 Hrodna: detention of youth activists

Young activists Veranika Lemianouskaya and Nadzeya Krapivina were detained at night in Hrodna, allegedly for posting leaflets.

14.02.2011 Activist of Belarusian Christian Democracy Vadzim Kabanchuk detained on the border

Former political prisoner Vadzim Kabanchuk, an activist of the Belarusian Christian Democracy and electioneering agent of Vital Rymasheuski, was detained on 13 February evening, while returning from Lithuania. The customs officers examined his belongings and found some newspapers. They were dissatisfied with their content and therefore detained him for more than 4 hours. They they called the police. As a result, Kabanchuk was guarded to the Ashmiany District Police Department, where a report for 'insubordination to customs officers' was drawn up. The police also tried to make Vadzim sign this document. The case was passed to court. The results of the trial will be known later.

14.02.2011 Endless interrogations

On 14 February an investigator of the military counter-intelligence phoned to a human rights activist Nasta Loika. He refused to introduce himself and said that he could show his ID during their meeting. He tried to invite her for a 'talk'. However, Nasta answered that she refused to come to him without receiving an official writ. After this the investigator tried to specify her address, she asked that the investigation had all possibilities to find it on their own. After this the counter-intelligence officer promised to soon her a writ soon.

14.02.2011 Final HRD Monitoring Report on Presidential Election in Belarus

“Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections” campaign presents its final monitoring report on the 2010 presidential election in Belarus. The report gives the campaign's overall conclusions on the election, provides comprehensive analysis of the voting and counting stages and includes recommendations on how the election process could be brought in line with international standards.

11.02.2011 Supreme Court leaves standing death verdict to jujutsu master Mialik

10 February the college board of the Supreme Court of Belarus, headed by the Deputy Chairperson of the Supreme Court Valery Kalinkovich considered the cassation appeal of a death convict, Homel resident Ihar Mialik.