The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

12.11.2013 Belarus remains at bottom of Eastern Partnership media freedom lis

Minsk, 11 November. Belarus has again been ranked last among the six Eastern Partnership participating countries in a media freedom index compiled by Ukraine`s Internews with the support of the European Union, Andrei Bastunets, deputy chairman of the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), told reporters in Minsk on Monday.

12.11.2013 Administrative case against Yauhen Kontush gets dropped due to lack of evidence of his guilt

On 11 November in Minsk Tsentralny District Court held a second trial on the administrative case of an activist of the National-Bolshevik movement Yauhen Kontush, who on 22 August had been sentenced to a fine of 12 basic units by Judge Viktoryia Shabunia under Article 23.34 of the Administrative Code, a violation of the order of organizing and holding mass events.

12.11.2013 Foreigners taken to a forest near Kurapaty, beaten and threatened

The victims, Azerbaijan, Tajik and Armenian nationals, reported about mass violence by men in civilian clothes, who seized, beat and intimidated them.

12.11.2013 Uladzimir Yaromenak to serve three-month arrest

It took the board of judges of the Minsk City Court just seven minutes to consider Uladzimir Yaromenak's appeal against the verdict of the Pershamaiski District Court of Minsk, by which he was sentenced to three months of arrest.

12.11.2013 Ales Bialiatski earns about $2 a month working six days a week

Ales Bialiatski earns about 20,000 rubles, and can spend just about 130,000 rubles in the prison shop.

12.11.2013 Authorities cover up black lists' compilers

Officials conceal on the basis of which document independent web-sites have been included in the list of Internet information sources with limited access.

11.11.2013 Trial “BELSATplus” vs. “BelSat TV” postponed to 9 December

The Supreme Court decided to defer the trial on request of the representative of the “BelSat TV” Michail Yanchuk.

11.11.2013 Homel: Zmitser Karashkou charged with illegal picketing

In the morning of 11 November the coordinator of the civil campaign “Stop drinking – start living!” Zmitser Karashkou was detained for holding an anti-alcoholization picket in front of the Homel Regional Executive Committee, where he unfurled a huge banner "Stop the sale of alcohol near schools".

11.11.2013 Policeman sentenced to 6 years in jail for squeezing out testimonies

According to the newspaper “Krychauskaya Zhyttsio”, on 31 October the Babruisk inter-district military court sentenced a Krychau policeman to 6 years years of jail under Part 3 of Art. 426 of the Criminal Code (abuse of power or authority ) and paragraph 9 of Part 2 of Art . 147 of the Criminal Code (intentional infliction of a serious bodily injury), without confiscation of property, with deprivation of the special title of "senior police sergeant", with disqualification to hold certain positions for a period of five years.

11.11.2013 Baranavichy: civil activist Ryhor Hryk intends to hold a picket “For public control over actions of the authorities”

The civil activist Ryhor Hryk filed an application for the action to the Baranavichy District Executive Committee.

11.11.2013 Leanid Smouzh sentenced to five days of arrest

The Leninski District Court of Minsk considered the administrative case of Leanid Smouzh, detained on 10 November after a procession and rally in Loshytsa. The reason for the detention was the fact that the resident of Stoubtsy district was wearing a T-shirt with the inscription "For Belarus without Lukashenka".

11.11.2013 Brest Regional Court turns down the appeal of trade-union activist fired from “Granite”

The member of the Free Trade Union of Belarus Leanid Dubanosau tried to challenge the decision of the Luninets District Court, which refused to reinstate him at work and didn't recognize the adverse discrimination at the enterprise due to his membership in the trade-union.

11.11.2013 Assault on Polatsk democrats

At 4.30 p.m. in Polatsk the police detained five activists of the Polatsk coalition of democratic forces, at the local office of the civil campaign “Tell the Truth!”: Yury Belski, Aleh Kraiko, Anatol Prakapenka, Anton Yasinovich and Yauhen Vilski.

11.11.2013 Our heartiest congratulations to Yuliya Hanchar on the birth of a daughter

The Human Rights Center "Viasna" sincerely congratulates the new parents – our dear member Yuliya Hanchar, and hear husband, Andrei Hanchar, on the birth of a daughter, and Zinaida Hanchar – on the birth of her granddaughter.

11.11.2013 Homel police continue haunting participants of an action in the memory of victims of Stalinist repressions

On 8 November the deputy chairman of the United Civil Party Vasil Paliakou was summonsed to the Navabelitski District Police Department in Homel. There he was charged with organizing an unauthorized mass procession (Article 23.34 of the Administrative Code).