News on the topic: human rights defenders
04.12.2008 Baranavichy: attempt of unlawful search at human rights activist’s apartment
As human rights activist from Baranavichy Syarhei Housha has said that today, a policeman came to his apartment with an intention to search it. He planned to search forbidden literature which allegedly is kept in his apartment.
02.12.2008 Brest: lying picket is dispersed
A citizen of Brest Zhana Abramava protested against her unlawful eviction from the inherited apartment at the central square of Brest, opposite the building of Brest city executive committee. The civil activists Yury Bakur and Ivan Stasiuk participated in the picket as well.
02.12.2008 Vitsebsk: human rights activist is not allowed to hold pickets
Pavel Levinau, activist of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, intended to hold a number of pickets dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the Universal Human Rights Declaration. He addressed Vitsebsk authorities with the request to authorize the actions and received a refusal signed by the deputy head of Vitsebsk city executive committee Pavel Losich.
10.11.2008 Saliahorsk: human rights activist Yana Paliakova is guarded to court by police
On 10 November in Salihorsk, a police officer came up to Yana Palyakova and ordered to follow him to the court.
06.11.2008 Ales Bialiatski: ‘Belarusian authorities harass human rights activists for their firm and unwavering position’
On 3-4 November in Strasbourg a conference ‘Situation of human rights activists in Council of Europe countries’ organized by the Commissioner on Human Rights of the Council of Europe’s office.
15.10.2008 Human rights activists under surveillance
On 13 October in the afternoon officers of Stoubtsy district police department stopped the car driven by the deputy head of Belarusian Helsinki Committee Tatsiana Hatsura. ‘We need to check what you carry in the car,’ said a policeman. Tatsiana had some bags with fiction literature with her.
14.10.2008 German Embassy denies Schengen visas to human rights activists
On 14 October the Embassy of Germany suddenly and without any explanations refused to issue Schengen visas to well-known Belarusian human rights activists and journalists Uladzimir Labkovich, Alena Laptsionak and Siarhei Sys.
11.10.2008 Salihorsk: police beat human rights activist
On 9 October in Salihorsk the human rights activist Yana Palyakova was beaten up by unknown people. She was beaten again at the police department. She said in an interview to RFE/RL she had been attacked at 5 in the evening.
06.10.2008 Ales Bialiatski: ‘Authorities are no longer ashamed of observers’
Belarusian human rights activists state that it is almost impossible to inform the public about the registered violations of the laws and falsifications of the elections in Belarus, and the authorities use them shamelessly.
15.09.2008 Human rights center
A document entitled ‘Decision for provision of civil security and road safety in Brest oblast during preparation and holding of the elections of deputies to the Chamber of Representatives of the National Assembly of the fourth convocation’, signed by the head of the head of the internal affairs department of Brest oblast executive committee, lieutenant-colonel V.Krasnichenka, and agreed with the head of Brest oblast KGB department L.Dziadkou and the procurator of Brest oblast, senior justice advisor S.Khmaruk.
11.09.2008 Human rights activist Uladzimir Labkovich questioned as a witness in the case of Minsk blast
On 11 September the officers of Leninski district police department of Minsk questioned the human rights activist Uladzimir Labkovich as a witness in the case that had been brought on the fact of a blast in Minsk on 4 July.
11.09.2008 Brest: human rights activists and their families are questioned concerning 4 July blast
On 8 September officers of Brest police phoned to the human rights activists Raman Kisliak, Uladzimir Vialichkin and Mikhail Illin (Vialichkin’s son). The policemen asked where the people had been on 3-4 July and who could confirm it.
10.09.2008 Human rights activists Uladzimir Labkovich refuses from ‘conversation’ with police
On 10 September in the morning the human rights activist Uladzimir Labkovich received a telephone call from Leninski district police department of Minsk. Mr. Labkovich was proposed to come to the police department for a ‘talk’.
08.09.2008 Coordinator of ‘Charter’97’ Zmitser Bandarenka faces pressurization
Zmitser Bandarenka, coordinator of Charter’97, is required to provide information about his residence in 1990ies to the tax office.
04.09.2008 Human rights activist Aliaksei Kolchyn questioned in the case of Minsk blast
On 3 September the human rights activist Aliaksei Kolchyn was questioned at the police department of Mahiliou oblast executive committee. Despite the fact that he was summonsed as a witness, the lieutenant-colonel of police A.Babkou decided to confine himself to questioning only.
