09.11.2009 Preventive arrest of ‘Young Front’ leaders in Minsk

The Young Front activists Mikalai Dzemidzenka and Anastasia Palazhanka were detained in Minsk on 7 November. They were going to hold a street action under the slogan ‘Tribunal for Communism’.

04.11.2009 Vitsebsk: huge fines for white-red-white flags on Ancestors’ Day

Judge of the Kastrychnitski district Edgar Martyrasian fined Vitsebsk activists Taras Surhan and Siarhei Kavalenka 700 000 rubles (about $255) each.

03.11.2009 Homel authorities disrupt celebration of ‘Dziady’

Activists of Homel branch of Frantsishak Skaryna Belarusian language Society are convinced that local authorities are to blame for thwarting the concert dedicated to Dziady.

30.10.2009 BAJ never got answer to complaint regarding attack on journalists

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Minsk prosecutor’s office haven’t responded to the appeal of the Belarusian Association of Journalists regarding the events on September 16.

The journalists are going to file a complaint to higher authorities if an answer is not received by next week.

Euroradio learnt this from BAJ deputy head, lawyer Andrei Bastunets.

“Theoretically, the letter might have been sent, but a post office hasn’t delivered it. We are going to wait for some days, if we don’t get a response, we’ll complain.

30.10.2009 Two activists detained for anti-nuclear picket in Mahiliou

Two Mahiliou activists Aksana Samoilava and Pavel Varashylau were arrested on 29 October as they were holding a picket against the construction of a nuclear power plant in Belarus. They were taken to the local police department and are currently awaiting charges and a subsequent trial.

28.10.2009 Militia didn’t answer to BAJ appeal over attack on journalists

The Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) hasn’t received an answer to its appeal concerning the events on September 16, though the deadline was on October 23.

BAJ head Zhanna Litvina told journalists would wait for a reply for a day.

“We haven’t got an official response. Maybe, it was sent on the final day, it may have taken more time because of the weekend. We are waiting until tomorrow,” Litvina told in an interview to Euroradio.

We remind that on September 16, officers of the law enforcement agencies used physical force to hinder journalist of Belarusian and foreign media to perform their professional duties. This happened during a picket of memory of politician Viktar Hanchar and businessman Anatol Krasouski, disappeared 10 years ago.

23.10.2009 Journalists to be supervised by special police unit, says Interior Ministry

The Belarusian police are going to reform their means of contacting journalists during demonstrations and rallies, says Deputy Minister of the Interior Yauhen Poludzen. The official said special ‘press-officers’ would soon be supervising journalists working at mass actions. They will be wearing blue retro-reflective vests. Besides, the rallies will be supervised by policemen in red retro-reflective vests. They will talk to the demonstrators who do not want to obey ‘the legal orders’ by the police.

20.10.2009 More fines awarded to participants of 16 October memorial picket

On 19 October Judge Ilya Svirydau of Homel Chyhunachny Court fined Valery Rybchanka, head of the Belarusian Party of Communists’ Zhlobin district office, BYR 700,000. Mr.Rybchanka is a tenth activists convicted for participating in the 16 October Hanchar and Krasouski memorial action. The total amount of fines is now BYR 10,325,000. Mr.Rybchanka says he is not surprised by the verdict: ‘Our trials are a conveyor. Once the authorities place you on the conveyor, you WILL be punished.

19.10.2009 Lyabedzka demands bring Minsk riot militiamen to criminal responsibility

The head of the United Civil Party referred to Prosecutor General of Belarus Ryhor Vasilevich.

Anatol Lyabedzka demands to organize investigation over the facts of unlawful actions of law enforcement officers and bring them to criminal responsibility, BelaPAN reports.

A ground for the appeal was forceful dispersal of a picket of solidarity held on October square of Minsk on October 16.

Anatol Lyabedzka was beaten up by militia officers during dispersal of the rally and guarding the detained to the Tsentralny district militia department.

19.10.2009 Action of solidarity dispersed brutally

The picket of solidarity in Minsk has been dispersed unprecedentedly brutally. 30 oppositionists were beaten up and arrested. Journalists were beaten as well, militia didn’t let them film this brutality.

More than a hundred of riot militiamen were thrown against the people, who came to October square in Minsk on Solidarity Day on October 16. No sooner had the protesters unfurled portrait of the political prisoners, they were beaten. A part of demonstrators sat on the ground in protest, they were beaten at first, and then forced into buses with the rest. It took only some minutes to arrest the demonstrators.

15.10.2009 ‘Santa Clauses’ surrender to prosecutor’s office on grounds of Article 193.1

Members of the liquidated Human Rights Center Viasna were among those who took part in the procession of Santa Clauses to the office of the prosecutor general of Belarus. By this unusual representatives of many unregistered civil associations wanted to remind the authorities about Article 193.1 of the Criminal Code that envisages criminal persecution for activities on behalf of unregistered organizations.

15.10.2009 Police detained activist of ‘European Belarus’ Maksim Viniarski

On 14 October the police officers of Minsk metro detained near Maladziozhnaya station the activist of the European Belarus Maksim Viniarski who was handing out informational materials with the demand to release political prisoners.

15.10.2009 Baranavichy: human rights defenders apply to prosecutor’s office

The human rights defenders of Baranavichy seek to stop the disgraceful practice of banning mass actions by the local authorities. Siarhei Housha, Karnei Piatrovich and Viktar Syrytsa prepared an address to the prosecutor’s office of Baranavichy district concerning the ban of a picket to them.

15.10.2009 Uladzimir Katsora demands to punish police perjurers

On 14 October the head of Homel branch of the For Freedom movement Uladzimir Katsora addressed Homel oblast prosecutor’s office with the demand to instigate a criminal case against the police officers who had drawn up on him deceitful reports following his detention on 16 September. Later Katsora and some other democratic activists of Homel were fined by court on the basis of these documents.

14.10.2009 Baranavichy: civil activists get fined for collecting signatures

The court of Baranavichy and Baranavichy district found two activists of the ‘4th sector’ campaign guilty of violating Article 17.1 (petty hooliganism) and were fined 70 000 rubles (about $25) each.