22.07.2011 Dead or alive? (updated)
Have the death sentences to Aleh Hryshkautsou and Andrei Burdyka been executed or not? This is the question incited by numerous reports quoting a publication in the state-owned “Vecherniy Grodno” newspaper of 20 July.
20.07.2011 Minsk residents appeal police violence
Two Minsk residents Mr. Uladzimir Marozau and Mrs. Sviatlana Viarheichyk have lodged complaints with the city’s prosecutor’s office, appealing violence reportedly used by the police during a “silent protest” on 6 July.
13.07.2011 Ales Bialiatski proposes Minsk City Court to declare Article 193.1 of the Criminal Code unconstitutional
Ales Bialiatski, Chair of the Human Rights Center Viasna, expressed this proposal in the cassation appeal against the verdict of the Tsentralny District Court of Minsk of 20 June 2011, according to which the official warning issued to him by the General Procuracy of Belarus was left. in force.
04.07.2011 Forced dispersals of peaceful assemblies by the police are a gross violation of human rights
Statement by the Human Rights Center Viasna
At the time of the peaceful assemblies in Minsk and other Belarusian cities on 22, 29 June 29 and 3 July officers of the Ministry of Interior used physical violence and police gear against peaceful protesters. Mass detentions were conducted: occasional passers-by were detained together with protesters. As a result, hundreds of citizens were drawn to administrative responsibility (including arrest) on false charges of disorderly conduct, the use foul language in public places. The Human Rights Centre Viasna registered numerous cases of illegal use of physical force against detainees, facts of the lawless interference with professional activities of journalists on the part of law-enforcement officers and cases of detention of human rights defenders who monitored the aforementioned events.
30.06.2011 250 protesters detained on 29 June
Some 250 people were detained during the so called “silent protests” across Belarus yesterday. Minsk police detained over 160 protesters, including a number of journalists. Some of the detainees were reportedly beaten.
24.06.2011 Valiantsin Stefanovich: “All this show cannot be called justice”
Valiantsin Stefanovich, lawyer of the Human Rights Center Viasna, observed the consideration of a number of administrative cases against the protesters detained during the 22 June Minsk silent rally. In particular, he attended the hearings at Minsk Savetski District Court presided by Judge Ms. Aksana Reliava.
23.06.2011 Over 460 persons detained during silent protests across Belarus on 22 June
According to preliminary data, over 460 persons were detained during silent protests across Belarus yesterday.
15.06.2011 Ales Bialiatski: “Freedom Award is an echo of 19 December events”
Ales Bialiatski, Chair of the Human Rights Center Viasna, commented on awarding the Freedom Prize to Viasna, the Belarusian Association of Journalists and the Free Theater by the Atlantic Council of the United States.
14.06.2011 Hrodna: trial of journalist Andzhei Pachobut started
On 14 June the Leninski District Court of Hrodna started closed proceedings in the criminal case against Andzhei Pachobut, correspondent with the Polish weekly Gazeta Wyborcza. The journalist is charged under two articles of the Criminal Code: Article 368, part 1, “defamation of president”, and Article 367, part 1 “libel against president”, and faces 2-4 years of imprisonment. He spent two months in jail before the trial.
14.06.2011 Weekly Review of post-election situation in Belarus (6-12 June)
The total sum of fines given to participants of the Stop Petrol protest exceeds 3 mln Belarusian rubles. On 12 June the riot police violently dispersed a spontaneous protest action of drivers at the border crossing point Bruzgi. Human rights defenders demand that the authorities stop cruel treatment and torture of political prison Mikita Likhavid. A member of the United Civil Party, businessman Andrei Bandarenka was acquitted after spending two years in jail. The Belarusian democratic organizations the Belarusian Association of Journalists, the Human Rights Center Viasna and the Free Theater received the Freedom Award at the Wroclaw Global Forum held on 9-11 June.
09.06.2011 FIDH and Viasna demand to stop cruel treatment and torture of Mikita Likhavid
The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the Human Rights Centre Viasna demand to stop cruel treatment and torture of political prisoner Mikita Likhavid
07.06.2011 Weekly review of post-election situation in Belarus (30 May – 5 June)
The trials of the majority of figurants of the “19 December riot” criminal case came to an end in May. 31 people were convicted. However, there remain about 20 suspects and accused who haven't been tried so far. Rodion Marinichev, correspondent for the Russian TV channel Dozhd, was deported from Belarus and banned entry for 5 years. The court left in force the official warning to the private socio-political weekly Nasha Niva. The cassation appeal against the warning issued to the Chair of the Human Rights Center Viasna, Ales Bialiatski, for activities on behalf of unregistered organization, was left standing as well. The Ministry of Justice exercises pressure on lawyers. Convicts make statements about the use of torture during the investigation.
03.06.2011 Brief review of the process of Belarusian anarchists
The preliminary investigation into the criminal case was accompanied with serious process violations of the convicts' rights, including: arbitrary detention, violations of the terms and procedures of detention established by the Criminal-Process Code of the Republic of Belarus (CPC), violation of the right to defense, and violation of the presumption of innocence. The detention of I.Alinevich in Moscow and his transportation to the KGB pre-trial prison in Minsk were accompanied with violations of legal procedures including the procedure of extradition of Belarusian citizens to Belarus from the Russian Federation.
27.05.2011 New verdicts in Square events trials
On 26 May, Minsk Leninski District Court presided by judge Mrs. Liudmila Hrachova pronounced verdicts in another trial of participants of the 19 December 2010 post-election protest.
25.05.2011 Weekly review of post-election situation in Belarus (15-22 May)
Three trials of 16 participants of the 19 December 2010 post-election events were finished last week, 9 defendants were convicted under Par. 1 Art. 342 of the Criminal Code (organization and preparation of activities that breach the public order, or active participation in them). On 16 May sentences were handed down to Iryna Khalip, Pavel Seviarynets and Siarhei Martseleu, on 20 May – to Uladzimir Niakliayeu, Siarhei Vazniak, Aliaksandr Fiaduta, Vital Rymasheuski, Andrei Dzmitryeu and Nasta Palazhanka. The verdicts appeared to be rather mild, as compared to the previous ones: those were mostly suspended imprisonment or probation. The pronouncement of sentences to seven more persons involved in the criminal proceedings on riots charges were postponed, including 2 presidential candidates Mikalai Statkevich and Dzmitry Us.
