09.09.2008 Supreme Court rejects Mikalai Statkevich’s appeal

The well-known activist and former political prisoner Mikalai Statkeivich intended to participate in the parliamentary elections, but was not let to do it. The official reason is that his conviction has not been cancelled yet.

16.08.2008 Kazulin is free

Today Aliaksandar Kazulin has been released from Vitsba-3 prison.

He was serving the 5.5-year prison term, allegedly for hooliganism, after challenging Aliaksandar Lukashenka during the presidential election.

Kazulin was granted pardon by special edict, signed by Lukashenka on Friday.

14.07.2008 Campaign on financial persecution of oppositionists and human rights activists continues

After Lukashenka’s statements that oppositionists lived better than all others without working anywhere the tax agencies started persecuting well known human rights activists and oppositionists.

11.07.2008 Hrodna: police are after Mikola Markevich’s sons

On 11 July Hrodna journalist, former political prisoner Mikola Markevich informed RFE/RL that his sons Aliaksei and Mikola are summonsed to the police.

11.07.2008 Human Rights Watch calls Prosecutor General to drop charges against Andrei Kim

Human Rights Watch is an international, nonpartisan, nongovernmental human rights organization with offices around the world, including New York, London, Berlin, Geneva, Brussels, Moscow, and Tashkent. Its Europe and Central Asia division has monitored and urged compliance with the human rights provisions of the 1975 Helsinki Accords in signatory countries and with international human rights law since the organization was formed in 1978. We are writing to express our profound concern about the recent arrests and disproportionate sentences of 10 youth activists for participating in a peaceful, but unsanctioned, protest on January 10, 2008. We are especially concerned about Andrei Kim, who is among these ten and who was arrested at a subsequent peaceful protest on January 21. He was charged with violations related to both protests and received a disproportionately harsh sentence for offences based on what we believe to be political reasons.

02.07.2008 Minsk: authorities ban pickets of solidarity with political prisoner Kazulin

The Minsk local authorities forbade holding of pickets of solidarity with political prisoner Alexander Kazulin, former presidential candidate.

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.

13.06.2008 Mikhail Marynich: I am not going to take part in the parliamentary election

Mikhail Marynich, former political prisoner and ex-minister answered the questions of the Narodnaya Volia newspaper.

12.06.2008 Political prisoner Parsiukevich kept in quarantine department of Shklou colony

The lawyer Vera Stramkouskaya has met with her client, political prisoner Siarhei Parsiukevich, kept in the quarantine department of Shklou colony. He will be kept in the quarantine till 16 June.

09.06.2008 Prison guards steal money from political prisoner Siarhei Parsiukevich?

Siarhei Parsiukevich has found himself without money and food after he was transferred to the Shklou penal colony. According to his wife, Vitsebsk entrepreneurs have recently attended the prison to pass him a food parcel, but the administration of the colony refused to accept it, RFE/RL reports.

27.05.2008 Last sentences in the ‘case of 14’

Chronicle of the trial

27.05.2008 Political prisoner Andrei Kim is kept in quarantine of Babruisk penal colony

Andrei’s mother, Tatsiana Kim, learnt it from the special department of the colony. ‘I phoned there and they said there was such a person there, they told he wasn’t convicted, but had filed a cassation appeal,’ Tatsiana Kim told to RFE/RL.

23.05.2008 ‘Case of 14’: trial postponed till 26 May

The trail over the participants of the protest of entrepreneurs has been postponed till 26 May, 9.30 a.m. Maksim Dashuk, Mikhal Subach and Pavel Vinahradau will appear in court. Another participant of the process – Alexander Barazenka, is abroad now. The case will be judged by Viktar Yesman.

21.05.2008 Andrei Kim transferred into Babruisk prison

Political prisoner Andrei Kim is transferred into Babruisk prison No. 2.

“Nasha Niva” has been informed about that by mother of the political prisoner, Tatsiana Kim. She has found out about that today, when she brought a parcel to her son to the remand prison in Valadarski Street.

20.05.2008 Appeal against judgement to political prisoner Parsiukevich to be heard 30 May

Appeal of political prisoner Siarhei Parsiukevich is to be heard in the Maskouski district court of Minsk on 30 May.

RFE/RL learnt that from lawyer Vera Stramkouskaya.

The court of the Maskouski district of Minsk sentenced Siarhei Parsiukevich, one of the leaders of the entrepreneurs’ movement, to two and a half years in a minimum security colony. The Vitebsk businessman was arrested in Minsk on 4 March for allegedly “violent acts against a police officer.”