05.08.2009 Political prisoner Pavel Vinahradau amnestied

The activist of the civil campaign European Belarus Pavel Vinahradau found out about that on 3 August, when he visited criminal and penal inspection.

03.08.2009 Court considers oppositionists’ complaints in their absence

On 31 July, Minsk city court considered a complaint of Uladzimir Kumets, an activist of the civil campaign European Belarus, convicted for ‘Freedom to Autukhovich!’ banner.

30.07.2009 ENEMO issues statement on parliamentary election in Moldova

ENEMO (European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations) has issued a statement on the pre-term parliamentary election in the Republic of Moldova. ‘The ENEMO International Observers’ Mission in the Republic of Moldova officially declares that it withdraws its international monitoring mission of the parliamentary election in the Republic of Moldova. The mission would like to declare that, under the conditions created by the authorities, it is absolutely impossible to perform an adequate monitoring. Besides opposition by the official authorities, the observers received threats from unknown persons of criminal appearance. In this situation, the mission cannot guarantee the security of its observers and will have to stop its activities,’ says the statement.

29.07.2009 Prosecutor’s office issued warning to Union of Poles’ magazine’s editor-in-chief

The prosecutor’s office of Hrodna believes that “Magazyn Polski na uchodzstwie” violates the Belarusian law.

As Radio Racyja was informed by the editor-in-chief Ihar Bantsar, the motive for issuing a warning were his professional activities and the fact that the magazine of the Union of Poles in Belarus which is not recognized by the authorities, headed by Anzelika Borys, does not have an imprint required by the Belarusian law

28.07.2009 Editor of magazine of Union of Poles in Belarus summoned to prosecutor’s office

Editor-in-chief of “Magazyn Polski na uchodźstwie” Ihar Bantsar received a summons from the prosecutor’s office of the Hrodna region saying he must give explanations to the deputy prosecutor.

Ihar Bantsar doesn’t exclude the reason for summons was the May issue of “Magazyn Polski na uchodźstwie”, containing a number of critical materials about Alyaksandr Lukashenka and measures taken by the committee of state security (KGB) against independent journalists. Besides, a collage depicting Lukashenka as Russian tsar Alexander III was placed on the cover, the independent journalist told Radio Svaboda.

22.07.2009 Christian democrats rejected registration completely

The Supreme Court dismissed a complaint of founder of the Belarusian Christian Democracy party and agreed with the position of the Ministry of Justice.

The party members go to law to cancel the decision of the ministry, which refused to register the BCD party, radio Svaboda reports.

The BCD representatives told the court the decision of the Ministry of Justice was political motivated. The BCD activists, fired for their political views, had a ward at the trial. Judge of the Supreme Court Valery Samalyuk heard the witnesses, who had given their signatures for BCD registration. The witnesses told about the threats from administration and KGB officers. But the Supreme Court took the side of the Ministry of Justice on July 23.

20.07.2009 Regional publishers form association

A newly-created Association of Regional Press Publishers ‘United Mass Media’ was officially registered by Brest Regional Executive Committee on 15 July. ‘We can and should unite. Regional publishers have never competed on the national information level,’ said Uladzimir Yanukevich, head of the Intex-Press publishing house and chair of the Association. ‘United Mass Media’ is an association of over 10 independent regional newspapers and was created as an open membership NGO.

16.07.2009 Activist fined by tax inspection

For Freedom member Mikita Krasnou has been fined BYR 210,000 for failure to appear at tax inspection and is threatened with more severe punishment for organizing ‘educational clubs.’ The tax inspection is sure the training could not be carried out free of charge. They suspect Mikita Krasnou of failing to declare the income he could have received for it. As a result, the activist is facing several million worth fine.

13.07.2009 Representative of Belarusian Christian Democracy not allowed to familiarize with pretensions of the Ministry of Justice

The responsible secretary of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party Dzianis Sadouski paid a visit to the Supreme Court to familiarize with the documents where the pretensions of the Ministry of Justice because of which the BCD was not registered, were stated.

10.07.2009 Detentions for banners in support of political prisoners

On 8 July the administrative commission of Frunzenski district of Minsk considered a report drawn up against the activist of the civil campaign European Belarus Ryhor Laurouski.

02.07.2009 Supreme Court reaffirms decision to deny registration to Young Democrats

The Supreme Court of Belarus has reaffirmed the decision by the Ministry of Justice to disallow registration to the Young Democrats political party due to a number of misspellings in the body of the application. The founders of the party are sure the decision is groundless, since the few insignificant flaws could have been easily corrected upon the request of the Ministry of Justice. In their reply to the application, the registration officials have also stressed that the organization's name does not correspond to its Charter. The Supreme Court did not take this into consideration, but suported the stance of the Ministry in general.

30.06.2009 Alexander Milinkevich applies Homel oblast court and prosecutor’s office

The leader of the For Freedom movement Alexander Milinkevich has addressed the head of Homel oblast court Liudmila Mikhalkova and the prosecutor of Homel oblast Valiantsin Shayeu. In his address he states that the founder of human rights educational association For Freedom Uladzimir Katsora has been several times sentenced to administrative arrest for far-fetched reasons.

29.06.2009 Informational campaign against political persecution of democratic activists

Representatives of 17 youth organizations launch an informational campaign against the political persecution of democratic activists.

25.06.2009 Educational NGO Spadchyna denied registration

The central department of justice of Hrodna regional executive committee has denied registration to the Spadchyna culture and educational public association from the town of Biarozauka. According to head of the department Aliaksandr Siankevich, Spadchyna’s application does not comply with the existing legislation. Members of the NGO say that after consulting lawyers they may appeal the decision in court.

25.06.2009 Opposition activist Uladzimir Katsora went on dry hunger strike in prison

On June 25, the judge of the Tsentralny district court of Homel found guilty five participants of a peaceful action of solidarity with kidnapped general Yury Zakharanka.

Opposition activists Pyotr Kuznyatsou, Vasiky Palyakou, Anatol Paplauny and a namesake of kidnapped former interior minister Yury Zakharanka were fined 700,000 Belarusian rubles, Radio Svaboda reports.

Uladzimir Katsora, regional coordinator of the “For Freedom” movement was arrested for three days. Protesting, the politician declared a dry hunger strike in the courtroom.