The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

08.06.2013 Kalinkavichy District Court punishes UCP activist Dzianis Rabianok with a fine

On 7 June the hearings on the administrative case against the activist of the United Civil Party Dzianis Rabianok finished at the Kalinkavichy District Court. He was found guilty of causing bodily injury (art.9.1 CAO) and punished with a fine of 1 million rubles.

08.06.2013 Brest: marked administration hinders journalists

The incident took place on 6 June on the territory of the Brest market "Autazapchastki" ("Spare parts for cars") during a visit of the initiators of the campaign "Popular Referendum" who wanted to talk with entrepreneurs and other residents of the city.

07.06.2013 Why aren't bodies of death convicts issued to their relatives?

The mother of Uladzislau Kavaliou, sentenced to death for the bombing in the Minsk subway, seeks to be given out her son's body.

07.06.2013 Prosecutor's office issues a warning to journalist Ales Silich

A member of the Belarusian Association of Journalists received an official warning from the Smaliavichy District Prosecutor's Office for cooperation with the TV channel "Belsat".

07.06.2013 Baranavichy activists ask how the authorities will implement Views of UN Human Rights Committee

On 7 June human rights defenders and social activists Siarhei Housha, Viktar Meziaka and Viktar Syrytsa filed an appeal to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in which they asked to be provided with information on measures taken by Belarus to implement the pinions of the UN Committee on Human Rights, set out on 27 July 2012.

07.06.2013 Bialynichy: defender of interests of families with many children called representative of "fifth column"

According to the chairman of the Bialynichy building society "Dvanattsats" ("Twelve") Piatro Shymbaliou, the deputy head of the Bialynichy District Executive Committee Andrei Yarashenka called him a representative of the "fifth column" during a private meeting at the executive committee.

06.06.2013 Rahachou: KGB doesn't return Dzianis Dashkevich his pneumatic gun

Social activist, coordinator of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party in Rahachou Dzianis Dashkevich still hasn't been returned his pneumatic gun, confiscated by the KGB almost 2.5 years ago, during the last presidential campaign.

06.06.2013 "Tell The Truth!" activist urgently drafted into the army after the end of the drafting campaign

The information about this was posted by another "Tell The Truth" activist, Mikhail Pashkevich. According to him, Artsiom Svirshchyk was kept in the town recruiting office in Anharskaya Street, 8. The staff of the recruiting office refused to present him the documents according to which he was drafted into the army, telling that they were for internal use only.

06.06.2013 London Belarusians hold flash-mob against death penalty

At 8 a.m. on 6 June Belarusians of London held a flash mob against the death penalty. They reminded that in Belarus bodies of death convicts aren't issued to their relatives, but burried in an undisclosed location.

06.06.2013 Lukashenka makes personnel changes in the judiciary

As stated by the press service of the President, Aliaksandr Pautau and Uladzimir Putsila were appointed judges of the Supreme Court with the subsequent approval of these appointments by the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly. They were freedom from the earlier postitions of the deputy head of the deputy head and a judge of the Belarusian Military Court and the head of the head and a judge of the Minsk City Court respectively.

06.06.2013 Students protest: stage for Culture University remains unfinished for 6 years already

Since its inception, the Belarusian State University of Culture and Arts hasn't had its own stage, where students, including those who are prepared to work in the theaters, could show their skills or just rehearse. A student of the Faculty of the Belarusian traditional culture and contemporary art decided to influence this situation and appealed for public support. And already had some success.

06.06.2013 Lukashenka's new decree: permission of ideologists required to hold a live performance

Aliaksandr Lukashenka signed decree #257, according to which it is necessary to receive the permission of ideologists to conduct mass cultural events.

06.06.2013 Mikhail Khvastou: Belarus does not need a special rapporteur

Belarus does not need a special rapporteur or any similar institutions. This was stated by the representative of Belarus to the UN in Geneva Mikhail Khvastou, at a session of the UN Human Rights Council, where in the evening on June 4 the latest report on Belarus, presented by the special rapporteur on the situation in Belarus, Miklos Haraszti,was discussed.

06.06.2013 Another death verdict about to be issued in Belarus

The state prosecutor demanded capital punishment for the murderer of a Homel student.

06.06.2013 Prosecutor General will have to answer whether courts rightly refused to consider complaints of human rights defender

Baranavichy human rights activist Siarhei Housha sent to the Prosecutor General of Belarus a supervisory appeal against the refusals of the court of first instance and the appeal court to consider his lawsuits concerning the failure of the Republic of Belarus to pay him a compensation for moral damages, as required by a decision of the UN Human Rights Committee.