05.08.2008 Supreme Court starts proceedings on suit against registration denial to For Freedom movement

The Supreme Court started the consideration of the suit of the republican NGO Movement For Freedom against the refusal of the Ministry of Justice to give the state registration to it. The Ministry of Justice insists that the majority of applicants participate in political mass actions and comment on political events. That’s why, if the organization is registered, most probably its aims will not correspond to the aims which stand in the charter.

05.08.2008 ‘Young Front’ to sue Minsk administration

Minsk city executive committee did not permit the Young Front to hold its constituent assembly in Kalinouski Square and did not propose any other place for its holding. The formal reason for the refusal is that a tube station is less than 200 meters away from the square, which is a violation of the legal norms. However, Minsk authorities did not provide any alternative and thus violated the law.

05.08.2008 Kobryn: MP confesses blackmailing Alexander Mekh

Kobryn court has carried out preliminary consideration of the case on complaint of the Belarusian popular Front Party activist Alexander Mekh. He complains of illegal dismissal from work.

25.07.2008 Former teacher Ales Chyhir tried again in Babruisk

Today Babruisk district court renews hearings on the case against local politician Ales Chyhir. Chyhir plans to run in the parliamentary elections this September. He is charged with disorderly conduct and failure to subordinate to police.

Police detained Chyhir on the eve of Lukashenka’s visit to Babruisk. On May 31st the state leader opened a new Ice Palace in the town.

On May 30 the case against Chyhir was sent for review. Chyhir was released in the court room. The policemen, who were supposed to testify against Chyhir, did not come to the hearing. Ales Chyhir spent 12 hours in detention before the trial.

22.07.2008 Property of Siarhei Skrabets’ parents confiscated

On July 21 Minsk city court issued a ruling to confiscate property belonging to the parents of the oppositional politician, the deputy chairman of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada) Siarhei Skrabets.

15.07.2008 Ales Krauchenia is fired from Baranavichy State University

A week ago the administration of Baranavichy State University issued the order for expulsion of the student Ales Krauchenia from the fifth year of the faculty of engineering. On 14 July the activist had to take his documents away from the university.

15.07.2008 Pavel Nazdra gets fined

On 14 July Pavel Nazdra, activist of the Young Front and the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party, was tried on suit of the military enlistment committee of Mazyr. Nazdra was accused of not having timely informed the military enlistment committee about his retirement from a job several years ago.

10.07.2008 Brest: Yury Bakur complains to UN Human Rights Committee

Mr. Bakur decided to apply to the UN Human Rights Committee after going through all court instances of Belarus with complaints against the verdict of Maskouski district court of Brest, by which he had been fined 93 000 rubles (about $43).

08.07.2008 Palina Kuryianovich sentenced to 5 days of jail for EU flag

Tsentralny district court of Minsk found the activist of the European Belarus civil campaign Palina Kuryianovich guilty of ‘petty hooliganism’. The police detained her because she had a EU flag in her bag.

04.07.2008 ‘Hazeta Slonimskaya’ wins the trial

The court confessed that the article published by the newspaper concerning the doctor Natallia Kiman was based on real facts which were confirmed by the investigation.

02.07.2008 More ‘Young Front’ members get arrested

The activist of the Young Front from Baranavichy Zmitser Stankevich was detained in the center of the city, near Lenin Square, while he was handing out leaflets with information about the political prisoner Andrei Kim. A violation report was drawn up on Stankevich. He was accused of petty hooliganism. On 1 June the activist was tried by court and sentenced to 10 days of arrest.

02.07.2008 ‘Young Front’ activist Artsiom Lastavetski is tried while serving arrest

Artsiom Lastavetski, Young Front activist from Baranavichy, who is serving 7-day arrest for handing out portraits of political prisoner Andrei Kim, was guarded to another trial from a detention center.

02.07.2008 Journalist of Radio ‘Liberty’ fined for ‘contempt of court’

On 30 June the journalist of Radio Liberty Liubou Luniova was fined 280 000 rubles (about 130 US dollars) for contempt or court because she had answered a telephone call during the trial of an activist of the Young Democrats who had been nominated to Central Election Commission by the political council of the United Civil Party.

13.06.2008 New cases of labor discrimination

Leanid Autukukhou, opposition activist from the town of Haradok, was not rehabilitated at job by court. He sued against his dismissal because of the expiry of the working contract, but he was not supported by the judge, the prosecutor or the official trade union.

13.06.2008 Anatol Liabedzka to pay for ‘European March’?

The court of Tsentralny district of Minsk informed Anatol Liabedzka, chairman of the United Civil Party, about the beginning of the procedure of exacting 2 242 770 rubles for the benefit of the Horremautador, enterprise of Minsk city execute committee. The court considered this sum equal to the harm which had been allegedly inflicted to the enterprise by participants of the European March. In the case he does not pay the whole sum in the due time (seven days) Liabedzka’s property can be confiscated by court marshals.