The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for February 2008

19.02.2008 Court Leaves Andrei Kim in Custody

On 19 February Minsk city court heard the appeal of Andrei Kim’s mother against his detention in the pre-trial prison in Valadarski Street in Minsk. She asked the court to change the restraint to her son. The court sitting was closed, only Andrei’s lawyer was admitted to it.

19.02.2008 Baranavichy: Entrepreneur Charnavus Fined

On 11 February Mikalai Charnavus participated in the unauthorized meeting of entrepreneurs in Baranavichy. On 18 February the first court sitting against the entrepreneur took place. However, the trial ended only on 19 February, as the day before there weren’t enough witnesses from the police and the ideology department of Baranavichy executive committee. By the way, it was the ideology department, to whom the entrepreneur had applied two weeks ago with the request to authorize the action. The action was banned, but the entrepreneurs held their action.

19.02.2008 Aliaksandr Kruty Can Be Released from Zhodzina Pre-trial Prison Today

The college board on criminal cases of Minsk oblast court has reversed the ruling of Niasvizh district court in the case of Aliaksandr Kruty, who was accused of defamation of the president.

19.02.2008 Presentation of ‘Shrek-3’ Cartoon and Meeting with Uladzimir Arlou Banned in Salihorsk

In the beginning of February Salihorsk organization of Young Front applied to the district culture department with the proposal to show the ‘Shrek-3’ cartoon in Belarusian language and combine it with a meeting with a well-known Belarusian writer and historian Uladzimir Arlou.

19.02.2008 Hrodna: KGB Pressurizes Eduard Dmukhouski

On 18 February an agent of Hrodna oblast KGB office has phoned to an activist of For Freedom! movement Eduard Dmukhouski and invited him for a meeting. When the activist refused from the proposal, the KGB activist started threatening him with administrative punishment and other problems.

19.02.2008 FIDH and Viasna: Open Letter to Belarusian Authorities on Harassment against Zhaleznichenka

Minsk-Paris, 15 February 2008 – The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the Human Rights Center “Viasna” express their deep concern about the Belarusian authorities’ repeated harassment against the youth activist Dmitry Zheleznichenko.

18.02.2008 ‘Cold, Hunger, Rats’ – Franak Viachorka about Conditions in Akrestsin Jail

Franak Viachorka, the chair of the cultural commission of the BPF Party, has been expelled from the journalistic faculty of Belarusian State University for poor academic progress. He did not manage to pass his exams in time because of 15-day arrest for ‘dirty swearing in public’.

18.02.2008 Constituent Assembly of Donors’ Organization in Mahiliou

On 16 February the constituent assembly of the donor’s organization Kroplia Zhyttsia (Drop of Life) took place in Belarus. The ten founders of the organization adopted the association’s charter and decided to pass to Minsk city executive committee documents for its registration

18.02.2008 Criminal Case against Aliaksei Sarnou Passed to Court

Hrodna police has passed to court a criminal case against Aliaksei Sarnou, who in the night of 17 December had made graffiti on the walls of two houses. That’s how he expressed his protest against the liquidation of social guarantees by the Belarusian authorities.

18.02.2008 Kazulin's Daughter Detained at Entrepreneurs' Action

Volha Kazulina was detained at the protest action of entrepreneurs together with Natallia Harachka and Uladzimir Niapomniashchykh.

18.02.2008 Aliaksandr Zdvizhkou Put in Prison Hospital

Radio Svaboda has learnt about that after the journalist’s mother Hanna Zdzvizhkova visited Minsk remand prison.

18.02.2008 Detained Young Front Activists Were Released with No Violation Reports Drawn up

All members of the underground oppositional organization Young Front arrested near Minsk on Saturday were released without charges later that day.

18.02.2008 Aliaksandr Milinkevich Detained and Interrogated

On 18 February the leader of the For Freedom! movement Aliaksandr Milinkevich was detained in Minsk. As the Charter’97 press-center was told by his wife, Ina Kulei, who was near him at the moment of detention, everything happened rather quickly and unexpectedly.

18.02.2008 Iryna Kazulina Disproves Lukashenka’s Words

‘I would like to listen to the conditions of release offered by Lukashenka to Aliaksandr. The things said by his messenger to us were unacceptable. It would be a dishonorable flight from the country,’ the open letter of the wife of the former candidate for presidency Aliaksandr Kazulin, Iryna Kazulina, published at the web site of the politician.

18.02.2008 Minsk:: Entrepreneurs' Action Disperced by Police

Entrepreneurs’ protest action, which was to be held in Minsk on 18 February, was cracked down by riot police. The people were forced out of square several times, as people come to the action. They were pushed out in the direction of Internatsyianalnaya and Bahdanovich streets. Total about 1 000 people participated in the action. Political prisoner Aliaksandr Kazulin’s daughter Volha, the leader of the movement For Freedom! Aliaksandr Milinkevich, a leader of the entrepreneur movement Aliaksandr Makayeu and a democratic activist Viachaslau Siuchyk were detained.