News on the topic: human rights defenders
03.09.2008 International Federation for Human Rights to demand the Belarusian government to investigate political disappearances
‘Opinion of people should come first in democratic countries. If election is undemocratic, people have the right to protest in the streets,’ Secretary General of the International Federation of Human Rights Luis Guillermo Perez told in an interview to the Charter’97 press center.
02.09.2008 Horki: candidate is threatened with changes in biography and prohibition to publish his electoral program
Constituency electoral commission #81 threatens Andrei Yurkou, a candidate for deputy from the Belarusian Popular Front Adradzhenne, with introduction of changes in his biography and prohibition to publish his electoral program in the local newspaper.
02.09.2008 Brest: Raman Kisliak asks permission for picket dedicated to disappearance of Hanchar and Krasouski
The human rights activist Raman Kisliak has addressed Brest city executive committee to obtain permission for holding a picked dedicated to an anniversary of the disappearance of Viktar Hanchar and Anatol Krasouski. He intends to hold the picket on 16 September.
02.09.2008 Democratic candidates are weeded out
The number of unregistered democratic candidates at the parliamentary election is extremely high, so one can’t say the oncoming election is democratic.
15.08.2008 Human rights activist R.Kisliak complains to general procuracy about violation of his right to receive information
The human rights activist from Brest Raman Kisliak has complained to the general procuracy of Belarus about violation of his right to receive information about the picket against war with Georgia which had taken place near the Russian Embassy in Minsk on 13 August.
08.08.2008 Brest: human rights activist Malei’s complaint ignored
The human rights activist Uladzimir Malei addressed the central electoral commission, Brest oblast executive committee and the presidium of Brest oblast Soviet of deputies with the demand to exclude from Mukhavets district electoral commission #4 its member Alexander Frantsevich. The reason is that during the last parliamentary elections Frantsevich had not admitted to the final counting of ballots and the final minutes the commission member U.Karpinchyk who had been charged with it by the secretary of the commission.
07.08.2008 Vitsebsk: journalists are interrogated in criminal case on threat letters from Russian neo-Nazi
On 7 August an independent journalist Aliona Stsiapanava was summonsed to the KGB and interrogated as a witness on a criminal case that had been brought on threat letters sent by activists of an unregistered Russian neo-Nazi organization RNE (Russian National Unity). The investigator asked Stsiapanava where and when she had seen such letters and what human rights organizations she knew.
05.08.2008 Homel: KGB interrogates Ales Yauseyenka
As the BelaPAN informs, the investigator Uladzimir Vidolis has interrogated Ales Yauseyenka, the coordinator of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee in Homel oblast, in the case of Minsk blast. The activist was asked where he was on the day of the blast, whether he had a car and in which military unit he had served.
01.08.2008 Aleh Hulak: procedure of complaining is too tough
On 31 July the Central Electoral Commission of Belarus considered the complaints against the refusals to register the initiative groups on nomination of candidates by collection of signatures. The CEC considered in essence only three out of the ten complaints which had been filed to it.
30.07.2008 KGB interested in Valiantsin Stefanovich’s family
Alina, wife of human rights defender Valiantsin Stefanovich, received a telephone call from KGB department in Minsk and Minsk region with a proposition to come to the KGB office for a conversation.
16.07.2008 Vitebsk human rights activist taken to police station from intensive care unit
Open Letter of Belarusian Human Rights Defenders
15.07.2008 Illia Bohdan: birthday behind bars
The member of the Belarusian Popular Front Party, human rights activist Illia Bohdan has to celebrate his 21st birthday behind bars. He is kept there on suspicion in relation to the 4 July blast in Minsk.
14.07.2008 Campaign on financial persecution of oppositionists and human rights activists continues
After Lukashenka’s statements that oppositionists lived better than all others without working anywhere the tax agencies started persecuting well known human rights activists and oppositionists.
11.07.2008 Tax inspection still interested in Valiantsin Stefanovich’s income
After the end of the press-conference dedicated to the present arrests and other forms of pressurization applied towards democratic activists within the frames of investigation of the criminal case brought on the fact of the 4 July blast in Minsk, the representative of the Committee of financial investigations in Minsk and Minsk oblast Yu.Bobin phoned to the apartment of the human rights activist Valiantsin Stefanovich to hand a writ to him. Valiantsin’s wife refused to open the door in the absence of husband.
11.07.2008 Police pay a visit to Zmitser Bandarenka’s apartment
On 11 July police visited the apartment of Charter'97 coordinator, one of the leaders of the civil campaign European Belarus Zmitser Bandarenka. His wife was there at the moment, and she refused to let them enter. So far policemen haven’t tried to smash the door open.
