The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for August 2007

16.08.2007 Three Youth Activists Detained in Minsk for Posting Stickers

19-year-old Pavel Vinahradau and two under-aged friends were detained in Nezalezhnastsi Avenue in Minsk. The police searched them and found several stickers with the text ‘Our time has come. The European march’. The detainees were driven to Pershamaiski district police department of Minsk. The policemen composed on them reports for illegal distribution of leaflets. In three hours the activists were released. They can be punished with fines for this ‘violation’.

16.08.2007 Representatives of Polish and German NGOs Warned about Possible Deportation

A group of representatives of NGOs of Poland and Germany, who came to Mahiliou, have been told that they could soon be deported from Belarus.

16.08.2007 Two Polish Politicians Deported from Belarus

15 August vice–speaker of the Polish Senate Krzysztof Putra was refused of entering Belarus. Krzysztof Putra accompanied by the deputy head of the Senate office Romuald Lankowski were going to Hrodna for participation in the events dedicated to the Day of Polish Army. Today in the Hrodna region the advisor of the Prime Minister of Poland Michal Dworcik was detained. After his documents being checked he was released but the policymaker hurriedly left the country .The leader of the largest Polish party Civil Platform Donald Tusk and leader of the parliamentary group Solidarity with Belarus Robert Tyszkevich were also refused of entering Belarus.

16.08.2007 Polish MFA Protests against Deportation of Polish MPs

The Foreign Ministry of Poland declared protest to the extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador of Belarus to Poland Pavel Latushka on occasion of the banned entry to Belarus for the Polish parliamentarians.

16.08.2007 Action of Solidarity with Political Prisoners on Ukrainian Border

Yury Khaschavatski‘s documentary Ploshcha about the March 2006 events in Minsk has been demonstrated at the Belarusian –Ukrainian boarder. People waiting for their turn to cross the boarder form the Ukrainian side are approaching the car with a white-red-white flag and watching the film fragments on the notebook. The documentary DVDs are presented to everybody who cares.

15.08.2007 Official of Simon Wiesental’s Center Condemns Open Distribution of Anti-Semitic Literature in Belarus

Wiesenthal Centre's Director for International Affairs, Dr Shimon Samuels, has addressed Aliaksandr Lukashenka with an open letter to express his indignation at the fact of free distribution of anti-Semitic editions in Belarus.

15.08.2007 Chair of Shklou BPF Office Stays behind Bars

The chair of Shklou office of Belarusian People’s Front Party Aliaksandr Fiodarau will stay in jail, at least till the end of the investigation. The prosecutor of Shklou district Ihar Sitnikou denied the lawyer’s petition for change of the restraint to his client.

15.08.2007 European Parliament Stands for Hrodna’ Center

Some time ago Aliaksandr Milinkevich directed to the heads of the EU countries, deputies of the European Parliament, UNESCO and a number of other international organization on protection of cultural heritage a request to prevent the destruction of the architectural and archaeological heritage of Hrodna. Following this, the Committee on Culture and Education of the European Parliament has applied to UNESCO with the request to defend the historical part of the city center and establish for it an international commission for monitoring of the restoration works.

15.08.2007 Prosecutor’s Office and KGB Put Eye on BUNT

Minsk city prosecutor’s office summons for interrogations members of an unregistered movement BUNT. Human rights activists do not rule out that soon a new criminal case against youth activists can be brought.

15.08.2007 Kletsk: Criminal Case against Underground Press

Criminal charges have been brought against the underground publisher of Boiki Kletsk bulletin, democratic activist Siarhei Panamarou. That happened several hours after Panamarou’s submitting an application for a picket in support for the political prisoners.

14.08.2007 Customs Officers Confiscate Materials about Stalin’s Camps

Workers of Brest customs office confiscated some informational materials from Dzianis Sadouski, secretary of the organizing committee for establishment of Belarusian Christian Democracy Party.

14.08.2007 Siarhei Kliuyeu Complains to Prosecutor’s Office

An activist of Young Democrats Siarzhuk Kliuyeu has appealed to the prosecutor’s office against illegal actions of the police.

14.08.2007 Mahiliou: Armed Policemen Block Private House

Armed policemen have blocked a private house in Chkalau Street 16 in Mahiliou where a seminar of the oppositional movement with participation of representatives of Polish NGOs was taking place. The seminar participants do not let the police in. The house is ringed by nine policemen, three of whom have arms. There are also several persons in mufti as well.

14.08.2007 Reporters Without Borders Condemns Situation of Freedom of Speech in Belarus

Reporters Without Borders condemns the parliamentary human rights and media committee’s decision on 3 August to reject a request from the Belarus Association of Journalists (BAJ) that it should consider whether article 10 of the media law violates articles 33 and 34 of the constitution.

13.08.2007 Criminal Case against Opposition Activist Features Samples of Telephone Bugging

The criminal case against the activist of Young Front Yaraslau Hryshchenia (brought under article 193.1 of the criminal case, ‘activity on behalf of unregistered organization’) contains materials that were received by the investigation by bugging his mobile telephone that was registered on a different name. There are about 20 minutes of recorded talks.