25.03.2013 Young Front activist Uladzimir Yaromenak shortly detained ahead of Freedom Day rally
Police preventively detained former political prisoner Uladzimir Yaromenak ahead of yesterday’s Freedom Day demonstration. This was reported by the activist himself to the www.charter97.org website.
24.03.2013 Report on monitoring the public event on Freedom Day in Minsk (March 24, 2013)
The Human Rights Center “Viasna” notes that the Freedom Day event of March 24, 2013 was mostly peaceful. However, the police used unjustified arrests against the protesters. This is unacceptable and indicative of the fact that during the rally the authorities unduly restricted the right of citizens to peaceful assembly, while a number of demonstrators were subjected to administrative responsibility.
24.03.2013 Activists detained ahead and after Freedom Day demonstration in Minsk
Some 2,000 Belarusian pro-democratic activists and ordinary citizens took part in today’s demonstration in central Minsk to mark the 95th anniversary of the Belarusian People’s Republic, Freedom Day. The manifestation was authorized by the city executive officials, who however banned the use of flags and banners.
24.03.2013 Biarozauka activist called for “preventive conversation”
Siarhei Trafimchyk, regional coordinator of the “For Freedom” opposition movement from the town of Biarozauka, Hrodna region, is facing groundless harassment from local police. On March 22 he received a phone call from the head of Lida district police department who asked the activist to appear for an interview.
23.03.2013 Criminal Prosecution Regarding Magazine ARCHE Denied
There will be no criminal case against the magazine “ARCHE. Beginning”, told the accountant of the editorial office Alena Kazlova.
23.03.2013 Nash Dom campaign activist detained in Talachyn
Raman Zabela, activist of the Nash Dom campaign, was detained this morning in the town of Talachyn. The activist was detained at a bus stop on the way to work and taken to the police station. The official reason for the detention is traditional – Raman Zabela reportedly looked like a person suspected of a crime.
22.03.2013 BCD activist faces obstacles in proving torture report
As previously reported, on 21 April 2012 Slonim police detained local activist of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party Volha Pansevich. During arrest, she was badly beaten and then forced into a car and taken to the police station, where she was charged with two administrative violations – disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. The activist was held in the detention center for three days, where police officers reportedly tortured her, beating the woman and using the so-called “lastochka” (“swallow”), the Human rights activists against torture campaign reports.
22.03.2013 Artsiom Prakapenka sent to penal cell for five days
The parents of the political prisoner visited their son in the penitentiary colony number 15 in Mahilou. Anatol Prakapenka, the father of politically imprisoned Artsiom Prakapenka (in the photograph), told that to the charter97.org web-site.
22.03.2013 Officer Siarhei Vazniak (video)
Another mini-movie from the series “Chronicles of Judgment Time” appeared on the Internet. The documentary is dedicated to one of the leaders of the party “Fair World” Siarhei Vazniak, politically repressed during the presidential campaign in 2010.
22.03.2013 Detentions in Vitsebsk
Vitsebsk police detained today activists of the Belarusian Popular Front Party Leanid Autukhou and Kastus Smolikau while distributing leaflets with an invitation to come to the rally on March 25.
22.03.2013 Homel civil activist appeals picket ban
Homel city executive committee has banned a picket applied for by the coordinator of the civil initiative “Stop drinking – Live Instead” Dzmitry Karashkou. The picket was expected to attract public attention to the problem of alcohol abuse.
22.03.2013 Adoption of an unprecedented resolution at the UN to end the financial strangulation of human rights NGOs
Today, the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council gave a strong response to the increasing trend of curtailing - when not criminalizing - the activities of human rights defenders by limiting their right to access funding, especially when they come from foreign countries. The Council adopted by consensus an unprecedented resolution, introduced by Norway and co-sponsored by 62 States, affirming that “no law should criminalise or de-legitimise activities in defence of human rights on account of the origin of funding”.
21.03.2013 Journalist Denied Access to a Building Yard of the Nuclear Station in Astravets
Correspondent of Radio Svaboda Mikhail Karnevich provided all required documents to the Management of the worksite of Astravets nuclear station; however, he was not allowed to enter the site.
21.03.2013 Slonim police warn activist ahead of Freedom Day celebrations
Ivan Sheha, leader of Slonim pro-democratic forces, received a written warning from the police department, warning against “violating the procedures of organizing and holding mass events or pickets.”
21.03.2013 Valiantsin Stefanovich: MEPs should seek meetings with political prisoners
During his meeting with the Lithuanian MEP Justas Paleckis, Valiantsin Stefanovich, Deputy Chairman of the Human Rights Center “Viasna”, raised the issue of political prisoners. “I referred to our joint report with the International Federation for Human Rights, which has recently been prepared. We talked mainly about the situation of political prisoners. But not only about that,” said Valiantsin Stefanovich in his comments to Radio Racyja.
