18.08.2010 Mahilou city authorities forbid municipal pickets

Protests against increasing utility bills are planned to be held near the building of the former culture center.

Activists of the organizing committee on creating the Freedom and Progress Party planned to have pickets to gather signatures for solving community problems, such as polyclinic construction, repairing roads and pedestrian street extending, but the pickets were banned in Mahilou, BelaPAN reports.

13.08.2010 Authorities ban August 16 opposition march

The Minsk city government has denied permission for opposition forces to stage a march and a rally on August 16 to demand an international investigation into the disappearances of four opponents of Alyaksandr Lukashenka, BelaPAN reports.

12.08.2010 Mahiliou regional authorities ban ‘Havary Praudu’ pickets

Mahiliou city executive committee banned a picket for nominating Uladzimer Niakliayeu, head of the ‘Rukh Naperad’ association, for participation in the forthcoming All-Belarusian People’s Congress, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports.

11.08.2010 Belarusian trade union divested a right for legal protest

Salihorsk district executive committee has prohibited for the Belarusian Independent Trade Union holding a picket against violation of trade union members’ rights planned on August 14.

23.07.2010 ’Right Alliance’ not allowed to hold a picket near Russian Embassy in Minsk

The Minsk City Executive Committee banned an unregistered organization Right Alliance to hold a picket near the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Minsk on 27 July, the day when of the Declaration of the Sovereignty of the Republic of Belarus.

23.07.2010 Vitsebsk: BPF Party banned to hold festive assembly on 27 July

The Kastrychnitski District Executive Committee rejected the application of the Vitsebsk region organization of the Belarusian Popular Front Party for authorizing a festive action dedicated to celebration of an anniversary of the Declaration of Sovereignty of Belarus.

14.07.2010 Homel authorities: no money – no rights

On 12 July, the Tsentralny District Court of Homel considered the lawsuit of the Homel human rights defenders Anatol Paplauny and Leanid Sudalenka against the ban imposed by the Homel City Executive Committee on over 30 pickets that the activists planned to hold in the most populous places of the city on 1 June in order to mark the International Children’s Day.

13.07.2010 Minsk authorities fear pillow fight

The Minsk city executive committee denied the registered organization Historyka in holding an action on occasion of the 600th anniversary of the Battle of Grunwald.

12.07.2010 Minsk authorities ban anti-corruption picket

According to Yury Karetnikau, the leader of the Right Alliance, the Minsk City Executive Committee dismissed the organization’s application for sanctioning an anti-corruption picket on Banhalor Square on 12 July.

12.07.2010 Circulation of ‘Volny Horad’ newspaper arrested by police

According to the editor, Siarhei Niarouny, the newspaper published a material about the scandalous film Godfather (about Aliaksandr Lukashenka) broadcast by the Russian NTV Channel. The journalist supposes this caused the arrest of the paper.

09.07.2010 'Nasha' Niva' newspaper removed from newsstands

The sale of the private socio-political newspaper Nasha Niva at the state newsstands was stopped after the publication of the article Godfather Surrenders.

06.07.2010 Website of socio-political newspaper ‘Vitsebski Kuryer’ is blocked

The editorial board associates it with the enforcement of Decree #60 regulating the activities of the national internet resources.

06.07.2010 Siarhei Panamarou is suspected in insult of officials

Siarhei Panamarou, a Kletsk activist of the For Freedom movement, was summoned to the Minsk Region Procuracy for an interrogation at 10 a.m. on 9 July, at the office of an investigator of especially important cases, Mr. Azarevich, in Shchadryn Street, 1.

01.07.2010 Procuracy wants to know how charter97.org functions

The first day when the decree on internet censorship came into force was marked by questioning of a well-known journalist Natallia Radzina.

10.06.2010 Ales Ramanovich to be tried

On 9 June, Ales Ramanovich, Pinsk activist of the Belarusian Popular Front Party and the movement For Freedom, was interrogated for about 1.5 hours by a police inspector Andrei Rusin. The KGB officer, who watched the activist during the last several days, was present at the interrogation as well.