26.03.2008 Trials over participants of peaceful action in Baranavichy end

Yesterday the police detained a group of 14 civic activists on their way to lay flowers to the Cross of Suffering in Baranavichy. All of them were brought to the local police station. Two teenagers were released. It was expected that the police would releasr two activists with poor health condition – disabled Ales Shcharbakou and Uladzimir Housha. However, the policemen left them in the detention center together with the others. One of them, Ales Shcharbakou, felt really bad. An ambulance came in an hour after the call. As a result the activist was taken to hospital. Loval human rights defender Siarhei Housha told Viasna, the participants of yesterday’s action received the following sentences:

26.03.2008 Trials over detained activists continue (updated)

Minsk courts are busy with trials over the activists detained during the peaceful rally yesterday. The rally was to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Belarusian Democratic Republic 1. Adamovich (Zavodski court, fined 30 basic units, judge Alena Laptseva) 2. Afnahel, Yauhen (Savetski police department severely beaten, Savetski court, judge Aksana Reliava, 10 days of jail) 3. Akimau, Vital (Savetski police department, Savetski court, 15 days of jail)

25.03.2008 Siarhei Kavalenka gets 10 days of jail

Kastrychnitski court judge of Vitebsk Iryna Smaliakova sentenced activist Siarhei Kavalenka to 10 days of jail. Kavalenka was arrested when he walked on a street holding a white-red-white flag. The judge evaluated the action as participation in an unauthorized rally.

25.03.2008 Aliaksei Kashkarou arrested

The “tireless” judge Tatsiana Pauliuchuk (Centralny court of Minsk) gave five days of arrest to Aliaksei Kashkarou.

25.03.2008 UCP activists Istomin and Bandarchuk tried in Hrodna

Hrodna human rights defender Viktar Sazonau reports, head of UCP local branch Yury Istomin was fined 5 basic units for foul language. Zmitser Bandarchuk received the fine of 3 basic units. Probably, his language was not as bad. They were tried by judge Tatsiana Herhel.

The activists were detained yesterday at Hrodna railway station.

25.03.2008 Yury Istomin to be tried today

Yury Istomin will be taken to court today before noon. He was detained yesterday evening. Head of Hrodna regional organization of UCP Yury Istomin and activist Zmitser Bandarchuk were detained at Hrodna railway station.

24.03.2008 Four Zhodzina activists arrested for 7 days

Today Zhodzina city court tried organizers of the mass action dedicated to the Freedom Day. Paval Krasouski, Yuras Zhylka, Aliaksandar Kamarouski, and Yury Silkin, accused of organization of an unauthorized action, were sentenced to 7 days in jail.

19.03.2008 Activist punished for pro-Tibet action in Minsk

Pavel Kurianovich, activist of the civil campaign European Belarus, was sentenced to 15 days of prison for participating in an action of solidarity with the people of Tibet.

19.03.2008 Dzmitry Kaspiarovich sentenced

Dzmitry Kaspiarovich received 12 days of prison for using foul language in spite of the fact that after he had been detained by road police he was accused of hooliganism.

12.03.2008 Sum of Absurd Claims to European March Organizers Reaches 10 Million Rubles

Yesterday Savetski district court of Minsk continued the hearings on the suit of the Horremautador state enterprise against the organizers of the European March action which took place on 14 October 2007. The enterprise demands from the defendants Yauhen Afnahel, Zmitser Fedaruk, Viktar Ivashkevich, Anatol Liabedzka, Aliaksandr Milinkevich and Viktar Viachorka 2 135 974 rubles (about 993 US dollars) for additional expenditures on cleaning the streets and removal of litter.

11.03.2008 Trial over ‘European March’ Organizers

Savetski district court of Minsk started hearings on the lawsuit of the state enterprise Horremautador against the organizers of the mass action of the opposition European March, held on 14 October 2007.

10.03.2008 11 March – Continuation of Trial over Organizers of European March Rally

On 11 March, at 10 a.m. the trial over the organizers of the European March rally, held on 14 October 2007, will take place at Savetski district court of Minsk. It will be already the second attempt of the judge Siarhei Barazna to hold a successful trial and read the verdict, as on 25 February the hearings were suspended because of the illness of one of the defendants.

07.03.2008 You can picket … with the agreement of police, firemen and ambulance

The consideration of the suit of Hrodna office of the United Civil Party against the local authorities lasted for about three months.

05.03.2008 Administrative Case against Barys Khamaida and Alena Zaleskaya Returned for Revision

On 4 March in Vitsebsk an administrative commission considered the administrative case against the local activists Barys Khamaida and Alena Zaleskaya, who were detained on 25 February in the city center during an action in the memory of Iryna Kazulina, Aliaksandr Kazulin’s wife.

04.03.2008 Imprisonments for Meeting in Salihorsk

A member of Salihorsk branch of the Young Front, 18-year-old Zmitser Banko was sentenced to 3 days of jail. The activist of For Freedom movement Uladizmir Shyla, entrepreneur, father of the Young Front activists Ivan and Illia Shylas, was sentenced to 15 days.