27.05.2009 Illya Shyla fined 625 dollars for covering “School for all” rally

An administrative commission of Salihorsk district executive committee has fined a minor activist Illya Shyla 50 basic units (1 mln 750 thousand rubles) for a picket in which he hadn’t taken part.

The ruling of the commission was passed in absence of the Young Front activist. Illya Shyla finds the decision absurd and is set to challenge it in the court, the website saligorsk.org writes.

As we have informed, on May 5 in the framework of the “School for all” campaign Salihorsk branch of the Young Front held a picket in support of their forcibly drafted leader Ivan Shyla in the central square of the city. Ivan Shyla hadn’t been given an opportunity to finish the school.

25.05.2009 Participants of anti-nuclear rally stand trial in Lida

Today, on 25 May Lida Town Court fined a Young Front activist Hanna Bunko BYR 70,000 for participating in the 25 April anti-nuclear action, issuing a warning to another participant of the rally and a European Belarus member Yauhen Rudy. Another activist Yauhen Skrabets had been sentenced to 1 day of imprisonment a few days earlier. According to Ms.Bunko, two policemen testified against the teenagers. ‘He said I was too young so they will just warn me this time,’ said Yahen Rudy. The activists were arrested on 25 April in the town of Lida, as they were holding a banner ‘No to the New Chernobyl!’ and distributing leaflets with information on the danger of the construction of the new nuclear power plant in Belarus.

15.05.2009 Minsk: court defends ‘Sovetskaya Belorussiya’

The court of Savetski district of Minsk dismissed the claim of the human rights defender Aleh Vouchak to Sovetskaya Belorussia, a newspaper of Lukashenka’s Administration for defense of honor, dignity and business reputation.

14.05.2009 Pavel Kuryianovich gets fined for stickers

The trial over the Young Front activist Pavel Kuryianovich took place in the court of Pershamaiski district of Minsk.

12.05.2009 Mahiliou: court turns down striker’s complaint

On 12 May Kastrychnitski district court of Mahiliou turned down the complaint of the activist of the Free Trade Union Belarus (FTUB), employee of Lausanbud enterprise Mikalai Rasiuk.

12.05.2009 Mahiliou: fine for religious activities

According to information of the BelaPAN, on 11 May the judge of Kastrychnitski district court of Mahiliou Iryna Tsiaplova fined the entrepreneur Liudmila Batsiuk, member of the international organization House on the Rock 140 000 rubles (about $50) for illegal religious activities.

12.05.2009 Military court refuses to confess drafting of Franak Viachorka unlawful

Belarusian Military Court left in force the verdict of the inter-garrison military court, according to which the forced drafting of Franak Viachorka into the army corresponded to the national legislation.

06.05.2009 Mahiliou oblast court does turns down cassation complaint of 'Volny Horad'

On 6 May Mahiliou oblast court finished the consideration of the cassation complaint of Siarhei Niarouny, editor of the non-state Krychau newspaper Volny Horad and the founder of the newspaper Uladzimir Kudrautsau against the ruling of Chavusy district court of 17 February.

06.05.2009 Masty: workers sue against the enterprise

Two workers of Mastoudreu have filed a suit to Masty district court against the unlawful dismissal from the enterprise.

05.05.2009 Fined for anti-draft banner

The youth activist Siarhei Kliuyeu was fined 175 000 Belarusian rubles for having hung out a banner in Minsk on 23 February.

04.05.2009 Journalist’s complaint brings no result

As it follows from the letter, received by the journalist Ivan Roman, the head of Leninski district branch of the custodial service of Hrodna, police major Zaikou thinks that his subordinates were right when they did not let the journalist to the open court hearings.

23.04.2009 Mahiliou Court turns down claim by independent trade union

On 22 April Mahiliou Leninski Court turned down the claim by the independent trade union of radioelectronic industry against the illegal refusal to register the trade union’s local office by Mahiliou city authorities. The decision was based on the unanimity of the fonders’ occupations. During the trial the trade union’s legal inspector Aliaksandr Karaliou called the decision by the authorities a politically motivated one and demanded that the court reversed it, since it violated the Belarusian legislation and a number of international treaties ratified by Belarus.

23.04.2009 Oppositionist convicted lacking corpus delicti

Brest Regional Court has turned down the appeal by Baranavichy activist Ryhor Hryk, who had been accused of organizing an unauthorized entrepreneur rally in Baranavichy in January 2009 and fined BYR 700,000. According to the human rights activist Siarhei Housha, it was proven that Hryk had not been the organizer of the rally. Besides, the arrest records were drawn up illegally. The witnesses stated in the records testified that they had not named Hryk the organizer of the rally. However, the courts of the two levels paid no attention to this evidence and convicted the activist. Ryhor Hryk considers the case a provocation by the KGB and the police and is going to appeal the verdict at the Supreme Court.

23.04.2009 Activist Mikhail Ilyin gets 10 days of prison

Brest Leninski Court has found a Young Front member Mikhail Ilyin guilty of disorderly conduct and sentenced him to 10 days of imprisonment. ‘Mr.Ilyin did not deny that he had laid a toilet and four rolls of toilet paper under the monument to Lenin in the central square of the city on 22 April. According to him, by doing this he expressed his attitude towards Communism and the existing cult of Lenin’s personality,’ said the human rights activist Raman Kisliak.

21.04.2009 Independent journalist Liubenchuk fined

Judge Yury Harbatouski has found independent journalist Ales Liubenchuk guilty of violing public order and fined him BYR 700,000. Ales Liubenchuk was arrested on 16 April after a trial over Zmitser Khvedaruk as he tried to take picture of a plainclothes policeman. ‘It looks like the police have not had the time to give the same evidence, for their words were completely different. After all, I do not understand how the judge could find me guilty,’ said the journalist after the trial.