23.09.2009 Human rights activists call on international community to address ‘political drafts’ issue

A number of Belarusian and foreign human rights activists have issued a statement calling on the international community to address the issue of politically-motivated drafts as a means of harassing Belarusian political and civil activists. The human rights defenders urge international human rights organizations and major politicians ‘to do their best to put an end to the illegal practice and prevent it from turning into a system of pressure and isolation used against the politically active youth of Belarus.’

22.09.2009 Foreign human rights activist refused Belarusian visa

Joanna Kurocz, member of the Civil Rights Defenders international organization, has not been allowed to receive a Belarusian visa, say representatives of an international journalists’ mission, currently on a visit to Belarus. During their stay in Minsk, the journalists have had a number of meetings with representatives of Belarusian mass media, both independent and state-owned ones. They were also invited to a meeting with Deputy Chair of the President’s Administration Natallia Piatkevich. The results of the visit will be reported during a final briefing at the International Education Center on 23 September.

17.09.2009 Mazyr human rights activist Pavel Nazdra fined

Mazyr Town Court has convicted local human rights activist Pavel Nazdra of violating Article 28.5 of the Civil Code and fined him BYR 105,000 for failing to submit information upon request from the local military registration and enlistment office, Radio Racyja reports. The activist did not inform the military department of his new job in July 2009. According to Pavel Nazdra, who has already faced several charges initiated by the military department, he is going to appeal the verdict. The activist says his prosecution may be connected with his political and civil activity.

17.09.2009 Swedish human rights activists: The world must remember victims of flagrant crimes in Belarus

Östgruppen human rights organization issued a statement on the tenth anniversary of disappearance of opponents of Lukashenka’s regime.

“Ten years ago, Viktar Hanchar and Anatol Krasouski were kidnapped and killed in the capital of Belarus. Officially, the guilty persons have not been found so far, but an independent investigation revealed: people from Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s inner circle are most likely responsible for the crimes,” the statement says.

15.09.2009 Supreme Court turned down Leanid Svetsik’s cassation complaint

The Supreme Court of Belarus refused to change the verdict to human rights activist from Vitsebsk Leanid Svetsik.

11.09.2009 Statement of Human Rights Center ‘Viasna’: Authorities again showed complete disregard of human rights

On 9 September 2009 in Minsk a peaceful action of the citizens who came to Kastrychnitskaya Square of Minsk to express their opinion concerning the participation of the Russian military forces in the joint Bealrusian-Russian military training, was dispersed with an exceptional violence.

04.09.2009 Supreme Court turned down cassation complaint against non-registration of ‘Brestskaya Viasna’

On 3 September the Supreme Court of Belarus considered cassation complaint against the non-registration of the civil association Brestskaya Viasna by the Ministry of Justice. As said by a founder of the organization Uladzimir Vialichkin, ‘the trial ended up predictably. Nobody had any illusions about it. That’s why when the pronounced the verdict: ‘The verdict of Brest oblast court is to be left without changes and the complaint is to be turned down’, for is it witnessed only that we have exhausted the means of struggle for our civil rights on the national level and have only the possibility of applying to the UN Human Rights Committee left to us.’

02.09.2009 Brest Viasna may be registered

The Department of Justice of Brest Regional Executive Committee has postponed delivering judgment on the state registration of the Brest Viasna regional public association. The official letter received by the founders of Brest Viasna requests that the NGO provided the original of the letter of guarantee concerning the issue of its legal address and approve the amendments to the NGO’s Charter proposed by Brest Viasna at a general assembly within a month’s time, thus providing certain chance for the organization to obtain state registration.

25.08.2009 Disrespect for Belarusian language not confirmed, says Ministry of Defence

Human rights activists Ales Bialiatski, Valiantsin Stefanovich and Uladzimir Labkovich have received a reply to their address to the Ministry of Defence, demanding to put an end to illegal persecution of youth opposition leader Franak Viachorka, currently serving in the army, on account of his using Belarusian. The reply denies any summary punishment was used against Franak Viachorka for using Belarusian, saying he was punished for ‘tactless attitude towards a superior.’

25.08.2009 Mazyr Court stops civil prosecution of HR activist Pavel Nazdra

Mazyr District Court stops civil prosecution against an opposition and human rights activist Pavel Nazdra, previously charged with violating Article 28.5 of the Civil Code (late submission of data concerning job change), the BelaPAN news agency reports. The court dismissed the case since Mr.Nazdra had already been convicted of the same offence a year before. The activist says he is likely to face another charge in the near future.

24.08.2009 FIDH expert comments on Viasna’s case (continued)

Kirill Koroteev, Mission Delegate of the International Federation for Human Rights, has commented on the case of the Human Rights Center Viasna, facing repeated refusals by the state registration bodies, as well as the situation in the field of Belarusian NGOs, in general. Mr.Koroteev attended the consideration of Viasna’s complaint at the Supreme Court on 12-17 August 2009, calling the final verdict a disgrace of Belarusian justice.

24.08.2009 Russian HR activist not allowed to enter Belarus

Nikolai Zboroshenko, Chair Assistant of the Moscow Helsinki Group, was not allowed to enter Belarus as he was crossing the Lithuania-Belarus border due to a travel ban. The ban must have been caused by Mr.Zboroshenko’s detention during a protest demonstration in 2006.

13.08.2009 Ales Bialiatski: The process of registration is of no less importance to us as human rights activists as the fact of registration.

Ales Bialiatski, elected head of the human rights organization Nasha Viasna that was denied the official registration by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus, vice-president of the International Federation for Human Rights, sums up the process of registration and shares the plans for the future.

12.08.2009 Yury Chavusau: ‘Developments in Belarus haven’t reached even the level of 2003, when ‘Viasna’ was liquidated’

Political scientist Yury Chavusau made a comment on the decision of the Supreme Court, by which the appeal against the non-registration of the civil human rights association Nasna Viasna was turned down. He is sure that ‘this verdict witnesses only that the real developments in Belarus haven’t reached the level at which Nasha Viasna could be registered’.

12.08.2009 Supreme Court turned down appeal against non-registration of ‘Nasha Viasna’

The founders of the civil human rights association Nasha Viasna did not manage to get abolished the decision of the Ministry of Justice on the non-registration.