The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

Human rights defender Leanid Svetsik had addressed the Vitsebsk Region Executive Committee with the proposal to hold a meeting with representatives of human rights movement in order to discuss human rights issues.

The Chyhunachny District Executive Committee of Vitsebsk didn't permit human rights defender Leanid Svetsik to hold a picket on 22 August. During this action Mr. Svetsik wanted to inform the population about the situation of human rights in the country, including the arrest of Ales Bialiatski.

Leanid Svetsik got registered at the Kastrychnitski, the Pershamaiski and the Chyhunachny district election commissions of Vitsebsk as an independent journalist. Now he has to compose complaints: he hasn’t missed three sittings of the Pershamaiski and the Chyhunachny DECs already as he wasn’t invited to them.

The Supreme Court of Belarus refused to change the verdict to human rights activist from Vitsebsk Leanid Svetsik.

The Panel of Judges for Criminal Cases of the Supreme Court of Belarus is going to consider an appeal by Vitsebsk human rights activist Leanid Svetsik and his lawyer Pavel Sapelka against the verdict by Vitsebsk Regional Court on 15 September. The human rights activist was convicted of fomenting national and racial hatred and fined BYR 31,500,000 on 16 July 2009.

Human rights defender Leanid Svetsik initiated amendment of the labor laws for stopping discrimination of citizens. The Constitutional Court considered his address and adopted a recommendation for the amendment of the Labor Code and the law On the employment of the population of the Republic of Belarus.

Judge of Vitsebsk regional court found the human rights activist guilty of stirring up religious and ethnic discord.

Leanid Svetsik must pay a fine of 31 mln Br ($10,890).

In his turn, as Radio Svaboda notes, the human rights activist strongly objects the verdict and believes he had been convicted illegally.

In 2006–2007, Leanid Svetsik was rendering legal aid to Vitsebsk activists, who received letters with threats on behalf of unregistered pro-Nazi organization Russian National Unity, was helping to prepare complaints to prosecutors.

Civil and political activists of Vitsebsk distributed the following statement concerning the criminal persecution of Vitsebsk human rights defender Leanid Svetsik. Expressing their protest against criminal and court persecution the activists demand an objective and all-sided trial of Leanid Svetsik’s case by a competent, independent and impartial court.

On 9 July Leanid Svetik, who is accused under Article 130, part 1 of the Criminal Code (fomentation of national and religious enmity), had his last plea at Vitsebsk oblast court. He pleaded innocent and stated that the criminal case was the revenge of the authorities for his human rights activities. Then the judge stated that the verdict will be pronounced on 16 July.

On 8 July at the hearings of the criminal case against the human rights defender Leanid Svetsik at Vitsebsk oblast court the prosecutor asked the judge to punish the defendant with two years in jail.