The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for December 2013

23.12.2013 Uladzimir Yaromenak to serve sentence in Baranavichy

Uladzimir Yaromenak, activist of the Young Front youth opposition movement, will serve his sentence in a detention house in Baranavichy (Brest region). His wife was told about this at the Department of Corrections of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Young Front’s website reports.

23.12.2013 Aleh Alkayeu: Execution is murder

What does the executioner feel? Aleh Alkayeu, former chief of prison No. 1 in Minsk in 1996-2001, who was involved in 134 executions, tells the activists of the campaign “Human Rights Defenders against the Death Penalty in Belarus” about this.

22.12.2013 Biaroza activist detained for distribution of leaflets advertising “Stop-Tax” campaign

Plainclothes policemen employees of Biaroza detained on Friday evening Aliaksandr Kabanau and his brother Yauhen as they were distributing leaflets to support the campaign “Stop-Tax”.

22.12.2013 Human rights defenders keep criticizing accessibility in Salihorsk

The administration of the Salihorsk-based bus depot No. 1 turned down a request of local human rights activist Aliaksei Valabuyeu, who demanded to bring the organization of public transport and information on its schedule in line with the objective needs of people with disabilities.

22.12.2013 Mother of BCD activist writes to Baranavichy Prosecutor’s Office

Iryna Karnitskaya, mother of Artsiom Babei, activist of the Belarusian Christian Democracy, filed a complaint with Baranavichy Interdistrict Prosecutor’s Office about the 18 December raid on their apartment. She says that two plainclothes policemen showed a search warrant signed by the Investigative Committee, but refused to leave a copy of this document.

22.12.2013 Babruisk authorities ban picket of solidarity with Ukrainian pro-EU protesters

Viktar Buzinayeu, leader of the United Civil Party’s Babruisk office, received a response from the city executive committee signed by the deputy chairman Aliaksandr Markachou. The paper says that the march and rally that activists wanted to stage on December 21 in solidarity with the Ukrainians were not allowed.

21.12.2013 Civil Rights Defenders: Little has changed in Belarus since the Presidential elections of 2010

The 19th December 2013 marks exactly three years since Belarus’ President Alexander Lukashenko’s won his fourth term in office winning nearly 80 % of the votes. The election itself was marred by violence, arrests, detentions and accusations of vote rigging from most of the democratic world and from many within the country.

20.12.2013 Dzmitry Dashkevich receives first warning

Dzmitry Dashkevich, leader of the "Young Front" opposition movement, received first warning for violation of the rules of preventive police supervision, charter97.org reports.

20.12.2013 Former political prisoner Aliaksandr Malchanau faces extension of preventive supervision

Former political prisoner Aliaksandr Malchanau learned that Barysau police department filed a petition in court for an extension of preventive supervision, which is due to expire in January, Radio Liberty reports.

20.12.2013 Attempt to detain human rights activist for photographing on Kastrychnitskaya Square

Riot police officers thought a human rights activist was “following them and taking pictures”.

20.12.2013 Supreme Court to decide how to inform journalists about executions and death sentences

Answering the question whether there will be any changes in the near future of how journalists can be informed about the imposition and execution of death sentences, Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Court Valery Kalinkovich noted that this issue would be considered at the plenum of the Supreme Court.

20.12.2013 Changes in the Electoral Code do not reflect essential criticism by independent observers

The first press conference of a campaign of monitoring the local elections of the 27th convocation was held today in Minsk. Human rights defenders Valiantsin Stefanovich (HRC "Viasna") and Aleh Hulak (BHC) spoke about the socio-political background, against which the elections will be held, as well as about changes to the Electoral Code, which, incidentally, do not reflect the fundamental observations and recommendations made by both Belarusian and foreign independent observers.

20.12.2013 Opposition activist goes on hunger strike over arrest

Judge Viktorya Shabunia of Minsk Tsentralny District Court punished opposition activist Maksim Viniarski with an administrative arrest of 15 days for involvement in a picket of solidarity with Ukrine’s pro-EU protest, which was held outside the Embassy of Ukraine in Minsk on November 30.

20.12.2013 Mother of inmate who died in Svetlahorsk prison goes to court

The decision to file a complaint was taken after Valiantsina Akulich received another runaround reply from district prosecutor Uladzimir Tarasenka, which showed the meaninglessness of further correspondence with prosecutors. Mr. Tarasenka considered the woman’s complaint, without studying the materials of a probe into the death of her son.

20.12.2013 State-owned media disclose details about recent death convict Lykau

The Investigative Committee told the major Sovetskaya Belorussia state-run daily certain details on the murders Eduard Lykau, who was sentenced to death in late November, committed. It is noteworthy that for one of the murders an innocent man spent seven years in prison.