The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

21.01.2013 Baranavichy human rights defender urges Supreme Court to address his case

Baranavichy human rights defender Siahei Housha filed today a complaint to the Supreme Court with a request to review the rulings by Baranavichy Court and Brest Regional Court.

21.01.2013 GayBelarus leader shortly detained by border troops

Siarhei Androsenka, leader of the GayBelarus NGO, was shortly detained by the Belarusian border officers while returning from Warsaw on 19 January, Radio Free Europe/Radio Europe reports.

21.01.2013 Hrodna human rights defenders to appeal absurd verdict

On 29 January, Hrodna Regional Court is expected to hear a joint appeal filed by local human rights defenders Viktar Sazonau, Uladzimir Khilmanovich and Raman Yurhel to challenge the verdict pronounced by the city’s Leninski District Court back on 5 January.

20.01.2013 Paval Sevyarynets granted three-day leave

Paval Sevyarynets, co-chairman of Belarusian Christian Democracy (BCD), has been granted a three-day leave by the administration of an open-type correctional institution in the Brest region.

18.01.2013 Exhibition about BPR was not let in Minsk

An exhibition “Unknown Belarusian People’s Republic” was opened in the premises of the National Library in Prague.

18.01.2013 Police visit Khalip every day after Lukashenka's statement

Policemen again visited “absolutely free” Khalip after Lukashenka's statement.

18.01.2013 “Bialiatski’s Case” presented in Minsk

The Minsk-based Ў gallery hosted yestreday the presentation of a book entitled “Bialiatski’s Case”, a documentary novel by journalist Valer Kalinouski. The event was attended by Ales Bialiatski’s relatives and colleagues, as well as prominent human rights defenders, political and cultural figures.

17.01.2013 Liabedzka charged for giving out leaflets

The leader of the United Civic Party received a note saying that he violated the legislation in regards to organizing mass events when he was giving out the party’s brochures in the street.

17.01.2013 Mahiliou court issues invalid answers

According to independent trade union activist Aliaksei Paulouski, the response issued by Mahiliou Leninski District Court to his appeal is legally invalid, as it has no registration code and the date of issuance.

17.01.2013 Navapolatsk authorities use all means to ban pickets

The pro-democratic activists of the town of Navapolatsk have for three times now applied for staging a picket of solidarity with political prisoners, as well as against the impoverishment of the Belarusian population under current economic policies. Their bids were rejected three times, including due to lack of contract for police maintenance of the events...

16.01.2013 Commemorative event in honor of a true friend of Belarusians (+photos)

On 14 January in Minsk the democratic society of Minsk marked the day of memory of a well-known Czech dissident, the symbol of the "velvet revolution", first president of the Czech Republic Vaclav Gavel, who had passed away on 18 December 2011.

16.01.2013 Mikalai Ulasevich demands that Ashmiany district customs office to returned his belongings and paid a compensation

The civil activist from the Astravets district Mikalai Ulasevich filed a counter-claim against the Ashmiany District Customs Office to the Ashmiany District Court.

16.01.2013 Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in December 2012

In December, the foreign policy still played a decisive role in the situation of human rights in Belarus. The general stagnation in the relations between the Belarusian authorities and the European democracies determined the stably bad situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms without significant deterioration during the reported period.

16.01.2013 Police summon founders of the national youth LGBT-organization in Minsk, Baranavichy, Brest, Mahiliou and Vitsebsk

On 15 January the department on drugs control and counteraction to human traffic of the police bureau of the Brest City Executive Committee summoned two founders of the Belarutian national youth civil association "Lambda" (the label under which "GayBelarus" is trying to legalize its activities for the second time), born in 1991 and 1993. The constituent assembly of the organization took place in Minsk on 8 December 2012.

16.01.2013 Navapolatsk police also trace solidarity actions through Internet

The Navapolatsk activist Yauhen Parchynski was summonsed to the police for photos with portraits of Bialiatski at the entrance of the Navapolatsk City Court. Another participant of the action, Siarhei Malashonak, says he is ready to any development of the events, including a trial and a fine.