The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for December 2007

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.

10.12.2007 Belarusian Authorities Defy Human Rights. Statement of Human Rights Center ‘Viasna’

Human Rights Center 'Viasna' states with a grave concern that Belarus does not respect the fundamental civil and political rights. The violations of these rights are systematic. They are defined by the conscious politics of the state authorities and their top leaders...

10.12.2007 Valery Misnikau – Another Victim of Punitive Psychiatry

Since 16 November a former teacher of history and law from Vitsebsk Valery Misnikau has been kept at the oblast psychiatric hospital 'Slabodka' in Braslau. This human rights activist, who called himself ‘civil prosecutor’, has often undergone legal persecution for his public activities.

10.12.2007 Action of Vitsebsk Entrepreneurs

On 10 December more than 50 entrepreneurs of Vitebsk lined in a queue to Vitsebsk oblast center of social employment. The administration of the center did not manage to answer the questions about what they could do not to become the center’s clients.

10.12.2007 Meeting of Entrepreneurs Takes Place athwart Provocations of Authorities

At 12 a.m. on 10 December in Kastrychnitskaya Square a meeting of entrepreneurs started. Here’s the chronology of the events.

10.12.2007 Masty: Ales Zarembiuk Accused of Unauthorized Picketing

As Ales Zarembiuk told Radio 'Racyja'¸ on 10 December he received a telephone call from the senior inspector of the law and order section of Masty district police department Aliaksandr Danilchyk. The inspector asked the activist to come to the police department. He explained that he had brought to the prosecutor’s office Zarembiuk’s explanatory note concerning a recent meeting of Aliaksandr Milinkevich with the citizens of Masty and the prosecutor’s office ordered him to compose on Zarembiuk a report for organization of unauthorized meeting. Ales Zarembiuk refused to come to the police department without official summons.

10.12.2007 Police Detain ‘Young Front’ Activist Barys Haretski

The activist of the 'Young Front' and journalist of Radio 'Racyja' Barys Haretski was detained in Kalinouski Square during the meeting of entrepreneurs and taken to Tsentralny district police department of Minsk. There reasons for the detention are not known yet.

10.12.2007 Barys Khamaida Holds 10 December Action in Vitsebsk

Today the activist-veteran Barys Khamaida congratulated the citizens of Vitsebsk on the Universal Day of Human Rights Day.

10.12.2007 Youth Activist Katsiaryna Salauyova Gets Rehabilitated at University

Katsiaryna Salauyova was informed about it by the rector of Polatsk State University during an unofficial talk. However, he said that she could be expelled again after the first detention or other punishment.

10.12.2007 Viktar Ivashkevich Arrested

On 10 December the police detained the vice-chairman of the Belarusian People’s Front Party Viktar Ivashkevich. He was detained while walking near Kastrychnitskaya Square and taken to Tsentralny district police department of Minsk.

08.12.2007 Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in November 2007

On 4 November the Belarusian opposition held the Social March¸ a mass action of protest against the decreasing life standards. At first the organizers intended to gather the people at Kastrychnitskaya Square and lead them to the National library where a meeting was to have taken place. However, as it usually happens, Minsk city executive committee again changed the place of gathering and the route. The place of the meeting was transferred to Banhalor Square.