The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

Rahachou activist Dzianis Dashkevich has been charged with allegedly libeling head of local district administration Mr. Viktar Banchuk.

On 28 March 2011, it was reported that Hronda Regional Prosecutor’s Office initiated criminal proceedings against Andrzej Poczobut, reporter of the Polish Gazeta Wyborcza weekly and leader of the opposition Union of Poles. The journalist faces charges under Par. 1 Art. 368 of the Criminal Code (“insult of the President of the Republic of Belarus”) for eight publications in Gazeta Wyborcza, one article on www.belaruspartizan.org and a post in his personal blog www.poczobut.livejournal.com.

The Human Rights Center “Viasna” has released a statement protesting against the reimposure of anti-Constitutional practice of bans and censorship of musical bands and performers.

The editorial board associates it with the enforcement of Decree #60 regulating the activities of the national internet resources.

Siarhei Panamarou, a Kletsk activist of the For Freedom movement, was summoned to the Minsk Region Procuracy for an interrogation at 10 a.m. on 9 July, at the office of an investigator of especially important cases, Mr. Azarevich, in Shchadryn Street, 1.

The first day when the decree on internet censorship came into force was marked by questioning of a well-known journalist Natallia Radzina.

On 9 June, Ales Ramanovich, Pinsk activist of the Belarusian Popular Front Party and the movement For Freedom, was interrogated for about 1.5 hours by a police inspector Andrei Rusin. The KGB officer, who watched the activist during the last several days, was present at the interrogation as well.