News on the topic: human rights defenders
06.10.2010 Salihorsk authorities beat a retreat: signatures can be collected in more places
Following the hard criticism of the local human rights defenders the Salihorsk District Executive Committee introduced changes to its previous ruling that determined the places where it was banned to hold electoral pickets.
05.10.2010 Activists campaigning for abolition of death penalty in Belarus detained on Lithuanian border
On 5 October the activists of the campaign Human Rights Defenders against Death Penalty Palina Stsepanenka and Iryna Toustsik were detained at the border point Kamenny Loh. The Belarusian customs officer set them down from the bus Vilnius-Minsk by which they were returning home from Vilnius.
05.10.2010 Malaryta: human rights activists agitate against death penalty during Town Day and 'Dazhynki' festival
Human rights defenders held an action against the death penalty in Belarus during the Town Day and the Dazhynki festival in Malaryta.
27.09.2010 Human rights situation in Belarus is unacceptably poor and calls for systemic measures, HR Forum participants say
On 22-25 September, Vilnius hosted a series of events, with a social focus on the human rights situation in Belarus and the activities of human rights activists. On 22-23 September, the Human Rights House Network held its annual meeting, attended by over 60 human rights defenders from 17 countries. The participants of the meeting addressed the Belarusian President Aliaksandr Lukashenka with an appeal, calling him to take urgent measures to improve the country’s human rights record.
16.09.2010 Kyrgyzstan: Human rights defender Azimzhan Askarov is sentenced to life imprisonment
On September 15 the court in the Masy village, the Nooken district of the Jalal-Abad Oblast of Kyrgyzstan, sentenced the prominent human rights advocate Azimzhan Askarov to life imprisonment with confiscation of property.
10.09.2010 Valiantsin Stefanovich: nobody conducts investigation in such a way
Aliaksandr Frantskevich’s counsel cannot find his client for three days. On 3 September several anarchists were detained within the framework of the criminal case that had been instigated under Article 339, part 2 for an assault on the Russian Embassy. In three days they were released and immediately detained again, in connection with the criminal case under Article 339, part 1 – connected with an assault on the building of the Federation of Trade Unions. They were to have been taken to the Leninski District Police Department, but this information wasn’t confirmed. The actual whereabouts of the detained people remains unknown.
25.08.2010 Brest Viasna HR group seeks registration
Uladzimir Vialichkin and Uladzimir Malei, co-founders of the Brest Viasna human rights association, have addressed the city’s justice department with a statement, demanding to reverse the 20 August court verdict, denying state registration to the HR group.
25.08.2010 Belarusian HR activist Volha Karach awarded Radebeuler Couragepreis
Belarusian human rights defender Volha Karach has been awarded the international Radebeuler Couragepreis, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports.
25.08.2010 Brest court returns the materials of Raman Kisliak's case back to the police
The court of the Leninski district of Brest returned the materials of the administrative case of the human rights activist Raman Kisliak back to the police on August 24, informs BelaPAN.
10.08.2010 Mahiliou court rules to evict local human rights group
Mahiliou Human Rights Center will have to pay BYR 13,658,000 of rent to Leninski district housing department, as ordered by Mahiliou Regional Economic Court, Radio Racyja reports.
21.07.2010 Relatives of policeman's victim apply to 'Viasna'
The relatives of the girl who had been shot dead by a policeman applied to the Human Rights Center Viasna saying they didn't believe the official version, according to which it was an accidental shot. The human rights are convinced of the necessity to organize a public supervision over the investigation of this criminal case.
20.07.2010 Ales Bialiatski became honorary citizen of Genoa
The municipality of the Italian city of Genoa granted the status of honorary citizen to Ales Bialiatski, Chairperson of the Human Rights Center Viasna. The Italian society expressed thereby its concern with the situation of human rights in Belarus, particularly the use of the death penalty, restriction of the freedom of the media and civil and political rights.
14.07.2010 Homel authorities: no money – no rights
On 12 July, the Tsentralny District Court of Homel considered the lawsuit of the Homel human rights defenders Anatol Paplauny and Leanid Sudalenka against the ban imposed by the Homel City Executive Committee on over 30 pickets that the activists planned to hold in the most populous places of the city on 1 June in order to mark the International Children’s Day.
06.07.2010 Will Barysau authorities review their decision concerning determined places for mass events?
Recently, the Barysau District Court fined, Ales Abramovich, a democratic activist from Barysau, 875,000 rubles (about $290) under Article 34.34, part 2 of the Code of Administrative Offences, ‘violation of the rules of holding mass events’. The activist appealed against the verdict at the Minsk Region Court. The activist intends to proceed up to the UN Human Rights Committee if his claims won’t be granted at the national level.
24.06.2010 Registration of Brest Viasna suspended
The Chief Department of Justice of Brest regional executive committee ruled to suspend the state registration of the ‘Brest Viasna’ human rights association due to a number of trivial reasons, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports.
