The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for August 2007

23.08.2007 Trial of ‘Young Front’ Activist Ivan Shyla Appointed on 4 September

At 10 a.m. on 4 September Salihorsk town court will consider a criminal case against the activist of an unregistered organization Young Front Ivan Shyla. 16-year-old Shyla is charged with activity on behalf of unregistered organization (article 193.1 of the Criminal Code).

23.08.2007 Punitive Psychiatry Remains Unpunished

The college board of Mahiliou regional court with a deputy chair of the court Ihar Troshka at the head turned down an appeal of a public activist Krystsina Shatsikava against the verdict of Leninski district court of Mahiliou that had refused to abolish a ruling of the local prosecutor’s office against bringing a criminal case on the use of punitive psychiatry. The College Board did not give any explanations concerning its verdict.

23.08.2007 Detained Members and Spectators of Svabodny Teatr set Free. Police Compose Report on Pavel Yukhnevich

Directors, actors and spectators of Svabodny Teatr (Free Theatre) headed by Mikalai Khalezin were set free today from the Savetski district police department in Minsk. At the department the detainees were made to write explanatory notes but the police composed no detention or violation reports. The only report was composed against a youth activist Pavel Yukhnevich, who was kept at the police department longer than other detainees. ‘I think that it is connected to his being a political activist. The police just used this occasion to compose a report on him’, commented Khalezin.

23.08.2007 Belarus Responds to US with Symmetrical Visa Sanctions

Belarus imposes visa sanctions against American officials in return to the decision of the US Department of State on extending the list of the Belarusian citizens prohibited to enter the USA. ‘In response to the unfriendly actions of the USA Belarus will impose corresponding visa restrictions for special categories of the American officials’, the deputy head of the information department of the foreign ministry of Belarus Maryia Vanshyna declared to Interfax.

22.08.2007 Consideration of Criminal Case against Young Front Activist Nasta Azarka Appointed on 4 September

HRC Viasna learned that on 4 September Niasvizh district court will consider the criminal case against the Young Front activist Nasta Azarka. The case was brought under article 193.1 (activity on behalf of unregistered organization).

22.08.2007 No Place for ‘Opposition’ In Slavonic Gymnasium

In Babruisk the daughter of an activist of For Freedom! movement Ales Chyhir was not transferred to the 5th grade. Instead Chyhir received a letter from the headmaster. In this letter the father was proposed to take his daughter to another school. According to the official version Alisa Chyhir did not pass the entrance exams to the senior grades of the gymnasium. However, there are no examination minutes and orders for the establishment of the examination commission. Mr. Chyhir has a 13-year record as a teacher and knows all details of the educational process.

22.08.2007 Pavel Seviarynets Sentenced to 15 Days of Jail

On 22 August Maskouski district court of Minsk held the third sitting on an administrative case against a political leader Pavel Seviarynets. The trial was to have taken place on 20 August, but was postponed first to 21 August and then to 22 August because of absence of the police witnesses. All this time Mr. Seviarynets was kept in Brest isolator.

22.08.2007 Customs Office Checks Your Letters Abroad

Recently the deputy chair of the International Federation for Human Rights Ales Bialiatski has started receiving foreign letters with interesting seals: ‘To present for customs examination’ and ‘Transportation permitted. Minsk regional customs office’. Such attentive examination of Mr. Bialiatski’s letters is not occasional. In fact, in Belarus there exists a convenient system of control of the private correspondence of public and human rights activists and politicians.

22.08.2007 Administration of ‘Hrodna Azot’ Plant Pressurizes Independent Trade Union

The administration of the open company Hrodna Azot (Hrodna Nitrogen) has started pressurizing members of the Belarusian Independent Trade Union in order to make them leave it and join a pro-governmental trade union Belkhimprafsayuz (Belarusian Chemical Trade Union).

22.08.2007 Activist of Entrepreneur Movement Summonsed to Police on Order of ‘Vertical’s’ Official

On 20 August a participant of a campaign For Free Development of Entrepreneurs Aliaksandr Tsedura was summonsed to Salihorsk district police department. The policemen explained that they did it on order of the chair of Salihorsk district executive committee Aliaksandr Rymasheuski. Rymasheuski decided that there was something illegal in Tsedura’s ad about the establishment of a committee for protection of the entrepreneurs’ rights and interests. The paper also informed about an upcoming social march against violations of workers’ rights that would take place in Minsk.

22.08.2007 Action in Peramozhtsau Avenue in Minsk

At about 8 p.m. on 21 August 40 activists of the public campaign For Freedom! came to Peramozhtsau Avenue (former Masherau Avenue)in Minsk. The youth activists flew the flags of the European Union and marched to Maskva cinema. There the street banner running ‘Our Time has Come! European March - 14 October 2007’ was installed.

22.08.2007 Entrepreneurs Receive Temporary Moratorium on Tax Inspections

Members of the Republican Public Association Perspective met with the deputy ministers for taxes and duties of Belarus Aliaksandr and Vasil Kamenka. The officials promised to settle the conflict which occurred today at the Zhdanovichy market and announced the monitoring moratorium for the time of the conflict settlement.

21.08.2007 Human Rights Activists Meet with First Deputy Minister of Justice Aliaksandr Petrash

On 21 August the human rights activists Ales Bialiatski, Uladzimir Labkovich and Valiantsin Stefanovich had a personal audience with the first deputy minister of Justice Aliaksandr Petrash. First of all, they were interested in the process of registration of the human rights NGO Viasna. Bear in mind that on 23 July the initiative group of human rights activists filed with the Ministry of Justice a packet of documents for registration of the public human rights association Viasna and in two days the Ministry of Justice must announce its decision.

21.08.2007 Aliaksei Shein’s Complaint Turned down

Minsk city court turned down an appeal of a co-chairman of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party Aliaksei Shein against a verdict of Frunzenski district court of Minsk sentencing the activist to 15 days of jail under article 23.34 of the Adminstrative Code (violation of the order of holding mass actions or pickets).

21.08.2007 Activist to Be Tried for Demanding Customs Declaration Blank in Belarusian

On 30 August in Homel a trial of a public activist Siarhei Siamionau will take place. Siamionau is charged with refusal to fill in a customs declaration, which is considered as ‘disobedience to legal demands of a customs officer’.