The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for December 2007

07.12.2007 Activist of BPF Youth Threatened with Property Confiscation and Travel Restrictions

Today the activist of the BPF Youth Zmitser Zhaleznichenka was summonsed to Chyhunachny district court of Homel. The court marshal Dzianis Saponenka demanded from the activist explanations why he did not pay any fines.

07.12.2007 Vitsebsk: Aliaksandr Danileuski Sentenced to 180 Hours of Corrective Labor

The first-year student of the European Humanities University Aliaksandr Danileuski has been punished with 180 hours of corrective labor within the frames of the Criminal Case under article 380, part 1 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus (forging, production, usage or distribution of forged documents, seals and blanks).

07.12.2007 Judge Kazlou Supports Opinion of Vitsebsk Authorities

The chair of Vitsebsk oblast BHC office Pavel Levinau has sued against the picket bans issued by Vitsebsk city executive committee. The judge of Kastrychnitski district court of Vitsebsk Eduard Kazlou took the side of Vitsebsk authorities who think that pickets must be held in the places that were determined by them – desolate places at the city outskirts.

07.12.2007 Baranavichy: Another Picket Banned

‘… Baranavichy city executive committee has to refuse in authorizing the picket, because the application does not correspond to the norms of articles of 4 and 5 of the law On mass actions in the Republic of Belarus. The measures for ensuring the public order and the measures connected with the medical serving and cleaning the territory after the mass action are not mentioned in the application…’. This standard come-off was signed by the deputy chair of Baranavichy city executive committee D.Kastsiukevich.

07.12.2007 Brest Authorities Ban Picket Dedicated to Human Rights Day

On the eve of the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Brest city executive committee receive 2 applications for pickets. The applicants intended to hold them both on 9 December – one in Lenin Street and the other – at the 'Locomotive' stadium.

07.12.2007 Search at Office of Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions

In the evening of 6 December the office of the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions was raided by the police.

07.12.2007 Action in Support of Entrepreneurs

On 6 December youth activists held an action in support of the entrepreneurs’ demands to the authorities.

07.12.2007 KGB Persecutes ‘Belsat’ Journalist

A journalist from Homel, a member of the Belarusian Association of Journalists Siarhei Padsasonny applied to the regional prosecutor’s office with a complaint against the actions of the Homel oblast KGB office.

06.12.2007 Homel: Authorities Warn Entrepreneur

An activist of the movement 'For Free Business' Iryna Kaminskaya has been summonsed to Homel oblast executive committee and warned that he would be taken to account for mass riot, in the case it will come to this on 10 December.

06.12.2007 Police Threaten to Siarzhuk Huminski

Several days ago the police paid a visit to the parents of the Young Front activist Siarzhuk Huminski.

06.12.2007 Salihorsk: Activists interrogated on New Criminal Case against Ivan Shyla

By 7 December Salihorsk prosecutor’s office must finish the check-up on a criminal case against Ivan Shyla. Bear in mind that on 7 December the youth activists of Salihorsk held the action ‘Put Communism to Tribunal’ and were detained by the police, who used force. Later an administrative commission gave to them small fines. A criminal case was brought against the youth leader Ivan Shyla. He is charged with ‘resistance to the police’. He says that it is impossible to ‘resist’ with one’s arms twisted.

06.12.2007 Vital Stazharau Fined

Savetski district court of Minsk has considered an administrative case against the activist of the 'Young Democrats' Vital Stazharau. Yesterday Stazharau was detained at Kamarouski market for handing out leaflets with invitations to the meeting of entrepreneurs that will take place on 10 December in Kastrychnitskaya Square.

06.12.2007 Andrei Klimau Meets with Family

On 1-4 December the political prisoner Andrei Klimau had the first meeting with his wife Tatsiana Klimava and his son Stas in Mazyr colony. Andrei’s mother, a disabled person of the second category, could not come to her son, as she cannot make such a long trip.

06.12.2007 40 000 Signatures for Amendment of Law On Religion

According to Siarhei Lukanin, the spokesman of the campaign of freedom of conscience, about 40.000 signatures have been collected for amendment of the law 'On religious organizations and freedom of conscience'.