The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

27.12.2013 Hrodna region: No representatives of opposition on territorial commissions

The formation of Hrodna city and regional election commissions was held on December 27 without any surprises and sensations, local human rights defenders Raman Yurhel and Viktar Sazonau say.

27.12.2013 Baranavichy city election commission created in 4 minutes

Baranavichy city election commission consists of 13 members: two party members and five persons from non-governmental organizations, three representatives from labor collectives and three nominees by collecting signatures. Its composition was approved today, on December 27, at a joint meeting of the city executive committee and the Presidium of Baranavichy City Council.

27.12.2013 Zhodzina: no changes in formation of town election commission

A general meeting of the Presidium of Zhodzina City Council of Deputies and Zhodzina executive Committee was held on December 26 to form the district election commission and approve the candidates for the town election commission for the upcoming local councils elections.

27.12.2013 Monitoring report on the results of observation of the action “Stop the Tax” held on 20 December 2013 in Minsk

On 20 December 2013, an action against imposition of a tax on the car owners was held in Minsk. The call for this action was carried out through social networks. The organizers didn’t ask for the permission to hold this action. There have been cases of threats from the State Automobile Inspection (DAI) – it warned about imposing fines and evacuation of the vehicles of supposed participants of the action.

27.12.2013 Salihorsk: Formation of territorial election commission still a secret

BHC Salihorsk activist Leanid Markhotka managed to attend a meeting for the formation of the district election commission, however, the principle of its formation and the names of the elected members of the commission remained a mystery to the public.

27.12.2013 UCP Mahiliou activist sentenced to 3 days of arrest

On December 26, Anton Kastsou visited the police department of Mahiliou’s Kastrychnitski district to inquire about the laptop seized at his apartment during a search, but he was taken to court, instead.

27.12.2013 Human rights defender not allowed to attend formation of district election commission in Mazyr

On December 26, joint meeting of the district executive committee and the District Council was held in Mazyr to form the district election commission. Ahead of the meeting, the Belarusian Helsinki Committee submitted an application to the executive committee with a request to allow its local representative Uladzimir Tseliapun to attend the meeting.

26.12.2013 Police take BMW over Stop-Tax protest

Minsk resident Dzmitry Pryharau, who appealed for help to the HRC "Viasna", says that on December 20 policemen took his BMW is an absolutely illegal manner – without any explanations and drafting the necessary documents.

26.12.2013 Albert Camus’ Reflections on the Guillotine

“The criminal is killed because he has been killed for centuries, and furthermore he is killed according to a procedure established at the end of the eighteenth century. The same arguments that have served as legal tender for centuries are perpetuated as a matter of routine, contradicted only by those measures which the evolution of public sensibility renders inevitable.”

26.12.2013 Babruisk correctional colony wants former political prisoners to “compensate for expenses”

Zmitser Drozd and Siarhei Kazakou received a suit from Babruisk correctional colony No. 2.

24.12.2013 How prisoners live “on taxpayers’ money”: utility bills from Mahiliou colony No. 15

Minsk resident Liudmila Kuchura, whose husband is serving his sentence in the Mahiliou-based penal colony No. 15, received a certificate of municipal services covered by prisoners, as a reply to her request sent to the Foreign Ministry’s Department of Corrections.

24.12.2013 Slutsk activist fined for film screening

The Slutsk district court issued a fine of 2,600,000 rubles to Zinaida Tsimoshak.

24.12.2013 Opposition activist Makayew jailed for commemorating anti-Bolshevik rebels

A judge of the Maskowski District Court in Minsk on Monday sentenced opposition activist Alyaksandr Makayew to five days in jail, human rights defenders said.

24.12.2013 Minsk courts convict participants of anti-tax rally

The court of Minsk’s Leninski district considered yesterday administrative charges brought against two persons detained during a protest staged on Friday to campaign against the introduction of a new tax on vehicle owners.

24.12.2013 Viasna’s website named Champion of Civil Society 2013

An awarding ceremony of the “Champions of Civil Society 2013” Prize was held on December 23 at the Art-Siadziba cultural center in Minsk. The award was founded by the Pro-Democratic NGOs Assembly.