The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for August 2007

28.08.2007 Brest Police Continue Detaining Youth

In the night of 26 August in Brest the police detained the youth activists Mikhail Illin, Andrei Sharenda and Yuliya Shashko who were sticking leaflets ‘Freedom to Seviarynets’. The detainees were kept at Leninski police department of Brest for three hours and were released after the policemen composed the detention, violation and confiscation reports. Next week the activists will be tried.

28.08.2007 Detentions and Trials in Niasvizh

In the night of 24-25 August in Niasvizh the police detained four youth activists: Nasta Azarka, A.Dubski, A.Zhukau and Nasta Palazhanka. They were charged with hooliganism for writing ‘Belarus is Sacred’ on a fence. The activists had to spend the rest of the night at Niasvizh district police department. The police ignored Palazhanka’s demand to call a defense lawyer.

28.08.2007 Justice Ministry Refuses to Register ‘Viasna’

According to the official site of the Ministry of Justice, ‘the charter of the association does not comply with the law of the Republic Belarus on public associations’.

28.08.2007 Homel Police Detain Participants of Meeting with Pastor Sabila

On 26 August in Homel several civil society activists were seized by the police at a meeting with the pastor of an outlawed Protestant church Ernest Sabila. The pastor of the Belarusian Evangelic Church came to the city to meet with members of the Frantsishak Skaryna Belarusian Language Society. Held at the city`s office of the United Civic Party, the meeting was attended by about 20 people.

28.08.2007 Aliaksei Shydlouski in Jail again

On 27 August the police detained a youth leader Aliaksei Shydlouski and took him to the remand jail in Akrestin Street in Minsk.

28.08.2007 Minsk Youth Hold Action of Protest against Beating of Girls by Police

On 26 August an action of protest against illegal detainments and beatings of the youth opposition activists took place at the crossroads of Niamiha and Haradsky Val streets in the center of Minsk. 20 people installed a street banner ‘When you are at home they are beating up girls’ and the posters running about the events of 16 August.

24.08.2007 Youth Activist Pavel Baranouski Fined for Posting Stickers

Pershamaiski district administrative commission of Minsk has fined the youth activist Pavel Baranouski 186 000 rubles for posting stickers. This was qualified as violation of paragraph 46 of the Rules of Well-keeping and maintenance of the city of Minsk. In the commission’s ruling it was stated that ‘Baranouski does not deny the fact of violation. He has explained that he had posted stickers because he wanted Belarus to be a part of Europe.’

24.08.2007 Liquidator of Chernobyl Accident’s Consequences Vasil Silivestr on Hunger Strike again

At present the resident of Kalinkavichy Vasil Silivestr who took part in the liquidation of the 1986 accident at Chernobyl atomic power plant is at the republican center of radiation medicine and human ecology in Homel.

24.08.2007 Authorities Try Pressurizing Entrepreneurs’ Leaders

The authorities responded to the recent unrest in Zhdanovichy market and to creation of self-defense committees of the entrepreneurs by pressing leaders of the entrepreneurs movement. Two leaders of the campaign For Free Development of Entrepreneurship Viktar Harbachou and Aiaksandr Tsatsura have been called to the police department.

24.08.2007 Ministry of Justice Officials Hide from HR Activists

The organizing committee for creation of the public human rights association Viasna can’t get acquainted with the resolution of the ministry of justice on the organization registration though the deadline of the resolution making was 23 August.

24.08.2007 Ministry of Justice Issues warnings to Six Political Parties

Today the justice ministry has submitted a warning to Zialionyia (Green) Belarusian Party, Belarusian Social-Democratic Party (Hramada), Belarusian People’s Front Party, the Social Democratic Party of People’s Consent, Belarusian Social Sportive Party and the Republican Party. According to the declaration of the justice ministry, it is stipulated by the law that the political parties must have the Minsk city structure and regional structures in no less than four regions.

24.08.2007 International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) Reminds Justice Ministry of Belarus about Legal Term for Deciding on ‘Viasna’ Registration

Here's the text of an open letter of the FIDH to the Minister of Justice Viktar Halavanau.

24.08.2007 Amnesty International Expresses Its Concern with Persecution of Youth Activists in Belarus

Amnesty International is deeply concerned by reports that the harassment, detention and imprisonment of youth activists by the Belarusian authorities has intensified in recent weeks. The organization believes that the clampdown forms part of the government’s continuing attempts to intimidate and obstruct youth activists, and civil society as a whole, from exercising their rights to freedom of assembly, association and expression.

23.08.2007 Brest: Three 'Hramada' Activists Detained after Trial of Pavel Seviarynets

On 22 August Leninski district court of Brest heard a case against the political leader Pavel Seviarynets. Mr. Seviarynets was charged with repeated violation of the rules of holding mass actions within 1-year term (part 3 of article 23.34 of the Administrative Code) and sentenced to 15 days of jail.

23.08.2007 Tatsiana Seviarynets Refused of Rehabilitation at Work

At court she tried to prove that she had a signed absence leave for 26-31 March, when she was absent from work. Tatsiana’s proxy Kastus Seviarynets drew that attention of the College Board to the fact that the administration of the district education department had used the inaccuracies existing in some acts of labor legislation in order to fire an opposition-minded teacher. Tatsiana Seviarynets also considers her firing politically motivated, because the chair of the district education department many times reproached her for oppositional views.