The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for 11 Dec 2007

11.12.2007 Prisoner Nikolay Kostyshev Announces REPEATED Hunger-strike in Minsk Jail #1

According to the relatives of the citizen of Russian Federation, prisoner Nikolay Kostyshev, on 25 October 2007 he had to announce a REPEATED hunger-strike, because for two days already he cannot get justified, despite the numerous violations of the Belarusian laws during the investigation and his innocence. Though Kostyshev announced a hunger-strike before and sent a number of addresses to the prosecutor’s office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, he received no answers.

11.12.2007 Politicial Prisoner Finkevich to Be Tried on 20 December

According to the information of Mahiliou human rights activist Barys Bukhel, the consideration of the criminal case against Artur Finkevich was appointed on 20 December. The trial will start at 10.30 a.m. The court has directed to Mahiliou state university a request to provide an interpreter into Belarusian.

11.12.2007 Baranavichy: Police Confiscate Leaflets

In the evening the 'Young Front' activists from Baranavichy Vadzim Auramenka, Pavel Kryvanosau and Vadzim Lohish were detained while handing out leaflets. The police took them to the police station and confiscated the leaflets.

11.12.2007 Entrepreneurs Sentenced to 7-15 Days of Jail

Several minutes before the trial a leader of entrepreneurs stated to Radio 'Racyja': ‘If the court sentences entrepreneurs to administrative arrest, the negotiations with the authorities which were appointed on 19 December, will not take place’.

11.12.2007 National Human Rights Award’2007

The organizing committee of the Charter’97 press-center has nominated candidates of the National Human Rights Award in 2007. This award was founded by the Charter’97 civil initiative in 1998.

11.12.2007 Action in Support of Political Prisoners

About a dozen of slogans with the demands to release political prisoners of Belarus emerged almost simultaneously in the center of Minsk on 10 December. The rally was held between 5 and 6 p.m. The activists of the civil campaign For Freedom! timed it to the Human Rights Day.

11.12.2007 Brest Authorities Ban Pickets

Brest executive committee does not let the activists of the united democratic forces to hold pickets against the repeal of the social benefits on 16 December.

11.12.2007 Quota for ‘Belaya Rus’

The Belarusian Ministry of Education has circulated an instruction to almost all universities of the country. It requires organizing primary cells of the newly-minted public association 'Belaya Rus'.

11.12.2007 Viktar Ivashkevich: Trial Delayed

The trial over the deputy head of the Belarusian People’s Front party Viktar Ivashkevich has started today in the court of Tsentralny district of Minsk.