23.08.2012 Palitviazni.info to be presented in Warsaw on 24 August

The updated and expanded palitviazni.info online resource is expected to be presented in the Belarusian House in Warsaw (Village 13/3) at 2 p.m. 24 August. The event has been arranged by the Poland-based Foundation for the Development of Democratic Initiatives and the Human Rights Center “Viasna”.

22.08.2012 Valiantsin Stefanovich: “There are various legal means to release political prisoners”

“Any interference with activities of judges in their administration of justice is inadmissible and is subject to prosecution under the law,” says a reply by the Presidential Administration issued following the petition for the release of Viasna leader Ales Bialiatski ahead of 4 August.

22.08.2012 Mikalai Autukhovich has meeting with relatives for first time this year

They were allowed to have a 1.5-hour phone conversation through the glass barrier.

“It's only called a meeting,” Autukhovich says, “We were not allowed to touch or kiss each other. You cannot do anything. It will go away, but memories will live in your soul forever. I don't doubt the guilty people will answer one day for this ordeal... My term expires in less than 20 months.”

22.08.2012 Alena Kavalenka complains about jailers to the prosecutor's office

Information about the health of Siarhei Kavalenka is being hidden from his wife.

Alena Kavalenka wants the prosecutor's office to check the legality of jailers' actions, who in July punished her husband Siarhei Kavalenka with a punishment cell, reports "Radio Svaboda".

20.08.2012 Court on a new criminal case of Dashkevich will be held on August 28

Closed session will be held on August 28 in the penal colony № 13 of Glubokoe city. This was reported by the press-service of the "Young Front".

20.08.2012 Political prisoner Prakapenka goes on hunger strike in punishment cell

Artsiom Prakapenka, political prisoner serving his 7-year sentence in the penal colony of Mahiliou, has declared a hunger strike after he had been placed in a punishment cell on 15 August, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports.

20.08.2012 Syarhey Kavalenka Placed in Prison's Medical Unit

It happened after the political prisoner had spent 16 days in a disciplinary cell.

17.08.2012 Vasil Parfiankou was transferred to prison № 6 in Baranavichy

There were attempts today to convey a parcel for the political prisoner, situated on Volodarskaja Street in Minsk. But the administration of detention center #1 did not accept it, saying that today Vasily is transfered to prison # 6 in Baranavichy.

14.08.2012 Political prisoner Pavel Seviarynets appeals against illegal censorship

Political prisoner Pavel Seviarynets filed two complaints to the Department of Corrections and the Prosecutor General's Office at the ungrounded ban for political prisoners Yauhen Vaskovich and Mikalai Statkevich to hold correspondence with him, bchd.info reports.

14.08.2012 Political prisoner Frantskevich forced to apply for pardon

Tatsiana Frantskevich, the mother of political prisoner Aliaksandr Frantskevich, and a lawyer visited the “Vouchyia Nory” penal colony. The mother of the political prisoner told charter97.org Aliaksandr Frantskevich, who had a kidney removed after an accident, was thrown into a punishment cell for refusal to fulfill insulting demands of the prison authorities.

14.08.2012 Belarusian Association of Journalists launches a campaign for the release of journalist Anton Surapin

The Board of BAJ urges all who sympathize with independent journalism to sign a petition to free the photographer.

10.08.2012 Ales Bialiatski: “I am a persistent violator!”

Back in the middle of June the imprisoned head of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” Ales Bialiatski wrote in his letter to Valiantsin Stefanovich: “It seems to me that the reprimands I have received are not the last ones”. The new information from Babruisk, where Ales is currently kept, confirms these words. Thus, in his letter to Valiantsin Stefanovich of 5 August he writes about more reprimands, issued to him by the administration of penal colony #2.

10.08.2012 Political prisoner Statkevich prohibited to read opposition press

Siarhei Skrabets, a party fellow of imprisoned Mikalai Statkevich, received a package with newspapers he had earlier sent to the political prisoner in a prison in Hrodna.

10.08.2012 Political prisoner Dashkevich to stand new trial soon

Imprisoned “Young Front” leader Zmitser Dashkevich has studied the materials of a new criminal case against him – for “repeated failure to obey prison authorities”, RFE/RL reports.

09.08.2012 Dunja Mijatović calls on Belarusian authorities to release Anton Surapin

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media asked Belarusian authorities to drop charges against detained journalist.