07.07.2009 Vitsebsk activists collect signatures in support of Leanid Svetsik

The civil activists of Vitsebsk are collecting signatures under an official statement in support of the human rights defender Leanid Svetsik. They intend to pass this document to Vitsebsk oblast court where the criminal case against Mr. Svetsik is tried.

07.07.2009 Police arrest director of firm where Mikalai Autukhovih worked

The director of Vaukavysk firm Nika-Taxi 22222 Liudmila Paremskaya was detained by the police and special purpose squad Almaz from Minsk. The office of the firm was searched and documents were seized.

07.07.2009 Political prisoner Artsiom Dubski sentenced to one year in jail

Asipovichy district court sentenced Artsiom Dubski to one year of imprisonment. He was taken to prison right after from the court hall.

01.07.2009 Emanuel Zeltser has been released from Mahiliou prison

The US citizen Emanuel Zeltser was released from penal colony #15 in Mahiliou in the evening on June 30. The former prisoner flew to the United States at 5:30 a.m. on 1 July.

01.07.2009 Haradok region: unemployed activists declare hunger-strike of protest

Leanid Autukhou and Alexander Zhytkevich went on a hunger-strike of protest when they lost any hope to get employed with the assistance of the local job center.

30.06.2009 Belarusian authorities use Article 193.1 against religious organization

Minsk city prosecutor’s office brought a criminal case under Article 193.1 of the Republic of Belarus against a representative of a religious organization. 25-year-old citizen of Minsk Yauhen Voukau is accused of activities on behalf of the unregistered Movement of Unity (Mun’s Church).

29.06.2009 Vitsebsk: poetess demands 7 million rubles from human rights defender Leanid Svetsik

Tamara Krasnova-Husachenka has filed a lawsuit with Vitsebsk oblast court where the legal proceedings concerning the human rights defender Leanid Svetsik still continue. She demands from him 7 million rubles in alleged damages to her health.

26.06.2009 Emmanuel Zeltser stops hunger-strike till 30 June

According to information of the lawyer Zmitser Harachka, the American businessman Emmanuel Zetser, currently serving a prison term in Mahiliou prison, has stopped his hunger-strike of protest till 30 June. The layer refused from commenting on this step of his client.

19.06.2009 Valiantsin Stefanovich: ‘Ivan Kruk’s case should reach UN HR Committee’

The case of Ivan Kruk, member of the civil initiative ‘Astravets Nuclear Power Plant is a Crime’, has finally reached the court. The activist is charged with distributing printed materials with no proper output data. According to Viasna’s representative Valiantsin Stefanovich, Belarusian human rights activists are ready to help Mr.Kruk in protecting his rights. ‘We consider the situation as a violation of Mr.kruk’s rights and an outrage against Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, since the Treaty guarantees the right to freely disseminate and receive any kind of information.

17.06.2009 Oppositionists demand to drop charge against human rights activist Svetsik

Several members of the Conservative Christian Party BPF Yan Taupyha, Yan Dziarzhautsau, as well as a non-partisan activist Barys Khamaida, have addressed Judge of Vitsebsk Regional Court Halina Urbanovich with a demand to drop charges against the local human rights activist Leanid Svetsik, who is prosecuted for fomenting national hatred by the local KGB department. They claim that the prosecution is groundless and demand to prosecute the actual offenders who threatened them with violence for their political views. The judge has turned down the motion by the oppositionists, who have declared themselves victims in the case, having strong doubt about the guilt of the accused. Still, she has filed the motion to the case materials.

16.06.2009 Punishment to two participants of Process of 14 mitigated

The Tsentralny district court of Minsk considered suggestions of militia officers to mitigate punishment to Ales Straltsou and Ales Charnyshou.

As Radio Svaboda reports, they guys must have served the remaining term of restraint of liberty (one year, two months and fifteen days). The court changed restraint of liberty to correctional labour. They young men must pay 15 per cent of their payment to the state during this period.

Straltsou and Charnyshou were sentenced to 1.5 years of restraint of liberty in the Case of 14 last year. They were accused of organizing riots during rallies of entrepreneurs.

Though now liberty Straltsou and Charnyshou is not restricted, they don’t have the right to leave the country.

15.06.2009 Mitigation of sentences to two participants of ‘process of 14’

Tsentralny district court of Minsk has considered the proposals of the police on mitigation of sentences to Ales Charnyshou and Ales Straltsou, both of whom have 2 months and 15 days of personal restraint left to serve.

11.06.2009 Trial of Leanid Svetsik: victims demand the case be dropped

The judge of Vitsebsk oblast court Halina Urbanovich announced a break after the petition of the defendant Leanid Svetsik for cessation of legal persecution and dropping the criminal case against him. The human rights defender said that he could not understand what he was accused in and considered himself innocent.

11.06.2009 Valiantsin Stefanovich: ‘This trial is an attempt to discredit human rights movement’

The first day of the trial of Leanid Svetsik started with the ejection of the independent journalists who had covered the appearance of anonymous threat letters on behalf of ‘Vitsebsk branch of the Russian National Unity’ in which Svetsik is accused.

10.06.2009 Trial of human rights defender Leanid Svetsik: new surprises

On 10 June Vitsebsk oblast court considered the criminal case against Leanid Svetsik. The trial started at 10 a.m. with an unexpected incident. An unknown youngster unfurled the protest ‘KGB – fascists’ and explained that in such a way he wanted to express his protest against the fabrication of the criminal case against Mr. Svetsik by the local KGB department. After showing the poster he left the court hall.