News on the topic: human rights defenders
30.06.2009 Human rights defenders call on prosecutor general to release Vaukavysk entrepreneurs
Human rights defenders have appealed to the prosecutor general with the request to free three opponents of the government, Mikalai Autukhovich, Yury Liavonau and Uladzimir Asipenka, from custody.
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.
24.06.2009 Hrodna human rights activists fight against death penalty
Members of Viasna’s Hrodna office held a three-day civil campaign against the death penalty. The action was joined by several other opposition activists, including members of the UCPB, Young Democrats and the Civil Forum. The activists distributed calendars with an inscription ‘Belarus is the only European country, which still uses the death penalty.’ They also informed local residents of the situation with the death penalty both in Europe and in Belarus.
24.06.2009 PACE calls on Belarus to register Nasha Viasna
Resolution 1671 (2009)1 Parliamentary Assembly Assemblee parlementaire
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.
12.06.2009 Observatory for Protection of Human Rights Defenders urges Belarusian authorities to re-register 'Viasna' and stop harassment of human rights defeners
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture
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.
08.06.2009 ‘Death’ was walking on Niamiha in the company of policemen in mufti
On 5 June several volunteers of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee tried held a theatric performance for abolishment of the death penalty in Belarus.
05.06.2009 Human rights organization ‘Brest Viasna’ is denied registration as well
Brest oblast executive committee again refused to register the human rights organization Brest Viasna.
04.06.2009 Östgruppen joins the campaign for abolishment of Article 193.1
Members of the Swedish human rights initiative Östgruppen stated their support to the campaign for abolishment of Article 193.1 of the Criminal Code of Belarus that provides criminal punishment for participation in unregistered organization. The campaign has been launched by the Assembly of Pro-democratic NGOs.
04.06.2009 Human rights defenders cannot be prohibited to implement their duties
On 3June in Minsk there was held the joint press-conference of the founders of the CHRA Nasha Viasna and the Assembly of Pro-democratic NGOs dedicated to non-registration of both associations by the Ministry of Justice.
03.06.2009 Systematic registration denials to ‘Nasha Viasna’ witness about the non-readiness of the Belarusian authorities to democratic transformations in the country
On 25 May 2009 the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus ruled to deny the state registration to the civil human rights association Nasha Viasna.
02.06.2009 Aleh Vouchak appeals against the verdict on his lawsuit to ‘SB-Belarus Segodnia’
On 1 June the human rights defender Aleh Vouchak filed a cassation complaint to the college board on civil cases of Savetski district court of Minsk to appeal against the verdict, issued on 15 May on his lawsuit against the newspaper Sovetskaya Belorussiya on protection of honor, dignity and business reputation and compensation of the moral harm.
