The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

Viktar Tsiapin, Baranavichy leader of the Fair World Leftist Party, has received a reply from local executive authorities saying that the picket he was expected to stage on 28 January had been banned.

Baranavichy activist Mikalai Charnavus has been charged under Art. 23.39 of the Administrative Code for alleged usurping the authority of head of local Ukrainian minority union in his application for a picket.

On 14 January, Baranavichy civil activist Ryhor Hryk received a reply to his appeal from the regional prosecutor’s office upholding an official warning issued to the activist for involvement in the People’s Assembly held on 8 October.

Baranavichy city executive committee has issued two bans on a picket (25 January) and a meeting (19 January) applied for by local pro-democratic activist Mikalai Charnavus.

On 12 January entrepreneur Mikalai Charnavus applied to the Baranavichy District Procuracy with the request to find unlawful the re-election to the council of the central market of Baranavichy, held on 29 December 2011, and punish those who held it.

In the beginning of 2012 the private newspaper “Intex-press” issued in Baranavichy, faced unexpected troubles. In particular, at present only its chief editor, Uladzimir Yanukevich, can attend sittings of the Baranavichy City Executive Committee as an accredited journalist, whereas earlier any journalist of the newspaper could come there.

On 9 January Baranavichy-based civil activist Mikalai Charnavus was summonsed to room #106 of the Main Police Department of Baranavichy, located in 50 Years ULKSM Street, 1. As he found from the talk with police major Vital Dabrachynski and police lieutenant Aliaksandr Samtsevich, Baranavichy officials accused him of arbitrary rule.

On 8 January police major Vital Dabrachynski passed a summons to the Baranavichy entrepreneur Mikalai Charnavus. According to the document, Mr. Charnavus is summonsed to room #106 of the Baranavichy City Police Department as a figurant of administrative proceedings.

At the end of 2011, the head of the Baranavichy civil association “Kobzar”, Mikalai Charnavus, applied for authorization of a picket in 25 January. By means of this action “Kobzar” members intend to inform the population about the refusal of the local authorities to provide the NGO with a legal address. According to the Belarusian legislation, the Baranavichy Ukrainans (1,210 people) cannot register their association with the state without a legal address. As we have already written, the public utilities board of Baranavichy had revoked its letter of guarantee concerning the provision of office space for the NGO in Savetskaya Street, 60.

On 20 December, the administration of Baranavichy-based Transfer Lines Plant has refused to extend the employment contract of local leader of the “Fair World” Leftist Party Viktar Tsiapin, despite of acute shortage of engineers at the factory.