20.02.2009 Dzmitry Zavadski’s mother speaks in support of Nasha Viasna

Volha Zavadskaya, the mother of the disappeared journalist Dzmitry Zavadski, has expressed her support of the founders and the members of the Nasha Viasna human rights association. ‘I have known Viasna for 10 years already. I am very glad that the organization keeps working. Its members have provided a lot of legal assistance. I am very sorry they lost their legal status in 2003. I think it intolerable that the organization cannot obtain registration. Every citizen of Belarus has a right to protect his or her rights, and organizations that help us do this should exist legally. So I am for the registration of Nasha Viasna in Belarus.’

20.02.2009 Will Young Front be finally registered?

Over 30 Belarusian towns have received applications from the Young Front movement, asking for permission to hold a constituent assembly so that the organization’s local offices can obtain legal addresses. It is Young Front’s fifth attempt to receive state registration. ‘The Ministry of Justice has declared a campaign of registration of Belarusian NGOs. Most of them are local pro-government initiatives receiving official status from local authorities. The Belarusian authorities seem to be showing their willingness to develop and liberalize the civil and political spheres. So Young Front has arrived at a decision to initiate another attempt to obtain registration starting from its local offices. The decision by local authorities will be an evidence of their evidence to start a genuine dialogue with the society,’ says Young Front Chair Zmitser Dashkevich.

19.02.2009 Leaders of Union of Poles of Belarus under pressure of secret services

Teresa Silivonchyk, head of the Baranavichy branch of the unrecognized by the authorities Union of Poles in Belarus (UPB), received a warning from the prosecutor’s office about criminal responsibility for activity in an unregistered organization.

According to Andrzej Poczobut, member of the council of the organization and journalist of Gazeta Wyborcza, it hasn’t been the first case when the authorities decided to use notorious article 193-1 of the Criminal Code against members of the Union of Poles in Belarus, Radio Racyja reports.

17.02.2009 Ex-leader of Belarus speaks in support of Nasha Viasna

Mechyslau Hryb, ex-Chair of the Supreme Soviet of the 12th Convocation (1994-1996), has expressed his support to the Nasha Viasna human rights association. ‘As for the registration of Nasha Viasna, I think it is high time the organization was registered. I also think that the more human rights NGOs Belarus has, the easier it would be for Belarusian citizens to protect their rights,’ said Mr.Hryb.

16.02.2009 Ministry of Justice vs. Nasha Viasna: Everything fair

The Ministry of Justice is collecting data on the founders of the Nasha Viasna human rights association, growing more and more inventive in finding faults with the organization’s application. In particular, the state officials keep checking the addresses of Nasha Viasna’s members. On 6 February, during a telephone conversation, a representative of the Ministry tried to learn information on the actual place of residence of one of Nasha Viasna’s members Ilya Bohdan.

13.02.2009 NGOs of Homel oblast have problems holding their assembly

Homel oblast executive committee did not sanction the assembly of NGOs and civil initiatives of Homel oblast.

13.02.2009 ‘European Belarus’ activists picket KGB

On 12 February activists of the civil campaign European Belarus held a picket near the KGB office in Minsk demanding to release arrested Mikalai Autukhovich, Yury Liavonau and Uladzimir Asipenka.

12.02.2009 Assembly of Democratic NGOs to applies for state registration again

On 7 February there took place the constituent assembly of the Assembly of Democratic NGOs, at which the organization charter and other documents necessary for state registration were adopted.

12.02.2009 ‘For Freedom’ movement starts anti-dactylographic campaign in Masty

In Masty the activists of the For Freedom movement have started a campaign against the unlawful dactilography of the population, after all men started receiving writs to Masty district police department for giving their fingerprints to the police.

12.02.2009 Provocation against Union of Poles in Belarus

On 11 February in Sapotskin, Hrodna region, leaflets have emerged with a call to Belarusian Poles to finance the congress of the Union of Poles in Belarus on 14-15 March. The appeal was signed by the chairperson of the Union of Poles in disgrace.

11.02.2009 Activist of ‘For Freedom’ movement is threatened with being directed to work in radioactively polluted region

Aleh Pronski, graduate of Hrodna Agricultural University, is threatened with forced reassignment to Homel oblast. According to the activist, it is the revenge of the authorities for his activism and being a member of For Freedom movement.

11.02.2009 Belarusian authorities continue hindrance to Belarusian Christian Democracy

Minsk authorities still haven’t given premises for a congress of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party. Bear in mind that the leadership of the European parliament has been officially invited to the event.

10.02.2009 Leanid Sudalenka supports the movement for registration of 'Nasha Viasna'

The human rights activist Leanid Sudalenka joins the initiative in support of his colleagues who have submitted documents for registration of the public association Nasha Viasna.

10.02.2009 Ales Bialiatski: ‘Registration or non-registration of ‘Nasha Viasna’ is the indicator of the readiness of the authorities to change their policy towards NGOs’

Mr. Ales! At present the Belarusian mass media actively discuss the information that the documents for registration of the human rights association Nasha Viasna, among the founders of which there are members of the liquidated by the authorities Human Rights Center Viasna, have been passed to the Ministry of Justice.

06.02.2009 Only a small part of confiscated property is returned to For Freedom’ movement

According to the ruling of Pershamaiski district court of Minsk only 9 out of the 39 confiscated items were returned to an activist of the For Freedom movement Aliaksei Kavalets.