The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for January 2008

14.01.2008 Entrepreneur Harbachou Fined after Justification

The court of Barysau region, which earlier acquitted Viktar Harbachou, the leader of the campaign ‘For free development of entrepreneurship’, has reopened the case on petty hooliganism charges. Thus, the court cancelled its decision, BelaPAN was informed by V.Harbachou.

14.01.2008 EU Condemns Arrests of Protesters

The Council of the European Union condemns the crackdown on the entrepreneurs’ demonstration, arrests and using force towards the protesters. Christina Gallach, spokeswoman of the EU High Commissioner for Foreign Policy and Security, said it. ‘We condemn arrests and sentences to the people detained. We regard each of them as politically motivated one,’ the spokeswoman said.

11.01.2008 Charges in Aliaksandr Zdvizhkou’s Case Are Aggravated

At 10 a.m. on 11 December the trial over the former deputy editor of the Zgoda newspaper Aliaksandr Zdvizhkou started at Minsk city court. Zdvizhkou is accused of fomenting the religious enmity for having reprinted in the paper the cartoons of the prophet Mohammad from a Danish newspaper in February 2006.

11.01.2008 Barysau: Police Interrogate Activist Aleh Lyska

In the morning of 11 December the activist of the trade union movement Aleh Lyska was summonsed to Barysau district police department. In the interview with Radio Liberty he said that the police tried to accuse him in organization of the meeting of entrepreneurs which took place on 10 December in the center of Minsk.

11.01.2008 List of Persons Detained at Meeting of Entrepreneurs in Minsk

11.01.2008 Rechytsa: Aleh Shabetnik Arrested for 5 Days

On 10 January the detained entrepreneur Aleh Shabetnik was tried. Judge Iryna Iulichava found him guilty of petty hooliganism and sentenced him to five days of arrest and fined him 700 000 rubles (about 326 US dollars).

11.01.2008 Details of 10 December Anatol Liabedzka’s Arrest

The leader of the United Civil Party Anatol Liabedzka was detained after the protest of market vendors. The arrest took place in a bus. At the bus stop near the Central Post office Anatol and 5 more protesters entered the bus. Riot policemen in black followed them instantly.

11.01.2008 Hunger-strike against Unfair Verdicts

6 participants of the protest action of individual entrepreneurs, who were guarded to trial to Maskouski district court of Minsk, went on hunger strike.

11.01.2008 Police Beat Protesters

Vera Stramkouskaya, lawyer of the detained on 10 January participants of the entrepreneurs’ action, demanded to call an emergency ambulance to Tsentralny district court of Minsk. 5 activists were guarded to the court, all of them have injuries.

10.01.2008 No Election Dialogue Ahead

The leaders of the United Democratic Forces have received an answer from the Presidential administration concerning their proposal to hold a dialogue on the election legislation and the practice of its usage. In their answer the authorities refused from such dialogue.

10.01.2008 Ministry of Justice Refuses to Register Trade Union of Small Business ‘Together’

The Ministry of Justice refused to register the trade union of small business 'Together'.

10.01.2008 Minsk: Meeting of Entrepreneurs Is Watched by Riot Police

About 1 000 entrepreneurs gathered in Kastrychnitskaya Square of Minsk. Among them there are politicians Siarhei Kaliakin, Aliaksandr Milinkevich, Ales Mikhalevich and Mikola Statkevich. The police warned the people that the procession to the presidential administration is banned. Then the meeting participants defined delegates who went to the administration for negotiations.

10.01.2008 Rechytsa: Police Provocation against Entrepreneur Aleh Shabetnik

According to an activist of the BPF Party Valery Putsitski, at about 9.15 p.m. he met with Aleh Shabetnik, after which Shabetnik intended to go home. ‘In Karl Marx Street, not far from Shabetnik’s home, he was approached by the local police inspector, who accused him of dirty swearing and guarded to the district police department. There the policemen explained that he was walking on the street and saw a well-dressed man (it was Shabetnik – BelaPAN). The policeman decided to escort the man home so that he would not be offended by any hooligans on the way, but the latter allegedly blankly refused and insulted the policeman with ‘dirty swearing’.

10.01.2008 Entrepreneurs Detained on the Way to Minsk Action

In the morning of 10 January near the village of Samakhvalavichy the road police stopped a minibus with the activists of the campaign For Free Development of Business Aliaksandr Tsatsura and Viktar Kryval and their families. This information was given to BelaPAN by an activist of the entrepreneurs’ movement Mikalai Pakhabau.

10.01.2008 Independent Electronic Editions Are Blocked

At about 10 a.m. on 10 December the access to the web-sites of the Belarusian service of Radio Liberty and Charter’97 were blocked and the Belarusian Partisan web-site worked with problems.