21.05.2012 Viasna launches campaign to monitor penal system

All information concerning the analysis of penal law and penal system monitoring will be published in a thematic section on the website of the Human Rights Center “Viasna”.

The section’s expert is lawyer Pavel Sapelka.

Here is an article by Pavel Sapelka, dealing with the urgency of the issue of human rights violations against people in custody, those serving sentences and held in other institutions.

21.05.2012 Vitsebsk police detain pregnant journalist

Vitsebsk police keep harassing the staff of local independent newspaper Vitsebski Kurier, as the weekly’s reporter Yulia Kanapliova was detained by road police on 20 May.

21.05.2012 Baranavichy human rights defender urges MPs to humanize penal legislation

Mrs. Anzhalika Kambalava, member of Baranavichy office of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, has sent an open letter to chairman of the House of Representatives’ Legislation Commission Mikalai Samaseika, together with MPs Sviatlana Pishch and Anatol Vankovich, suggesting humanization of the country’s penal legislation.

21.05.2012 Bykhau resident keeps demanding prosecution of local policeman on forgery charges

Aliaksandr Shachanok, resident of the town of Bykhau, Mahiliou region, has lodged a complaint with the Regional Prosecutor’s Office against an earlier decision by the prosecutor of Bykhau district to deny prosecution of local policeman Vital Vashchyla for alleged forging a police report (Par. 1 Art. 427 of the Criminal Code) back in November 2011.

21.05.2012 Kavalienka Sent to Penal Colony No. 19

Opposition activist Siarhiej Kavalienka has been placed in Correctional Institution No. 19 in Mahiliou to serve his prison sentence, his wife, Aliena, told BelaPAN on Monday.

21.05.2012 Salihorsk authorities ban Young Front bike ride

Salihorsk town executive officials have banned a bike ride marking the anniversary of the 1995 referendum that introduced new state symbols instead of the historical Pahonia coat of arms and the white-red-white flag.

21.05.2012 Activist cruelly beaten for support of Kavalenka

An activist of “European Belarus” campaign Andrei Mouchan was detained and ferociously beaten by police in Minsk.