The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for March 2008

04.03.2008 Yury Istomin, Aliaksei Malchyk and Viktar Sazonau Detained Near Hrodna

The police examined the car with the democratic activists on the road and allegedly found some forged money. The detainees have been guarded to Shchuchyn district police department.

04.03.2008 Three Accused in Criminal Case on 10 January Protest Action of Entrepreneurs

On 4 March the investigative department of the main board of internal affairs of Minsk city executive committee passed to the participants of the entrepreneurs’ action of 10 January Mikhail Kryvau, Mikhail Pashkevich and Uladzimir Siarheyeu the rulings that they were suspects in a criminal case under article 342, part 1 of the Criminal Code – ‘organization or active participation in group actions that grossly violate the public order.’ All suspects had to give written undertakings not to leave Minsk.

04.03.2008 Imprisonments for Meeting in Salihorsk

A member of Salihorsk branch of the Young Front, 18-year-old Zmitser Banko was sentenced to 3 days of jail. The activist of For Freedom movement Uladizmir Shyla, entrepreneur, father of the Young Front activists Ivan and Illia Shylas, was sentenced to 15 days.

04.03.2008 Constitutional Court Ignores Believers’ Opinion

According to the answer, received by the New Life Church the Constitutional Court will not consider the proposals to amend the religious legislation of the country, though 50 000 citizens of Belarus signed for it.

04.03.2008 Student of Mahiliou Pedagogic University Advised to Stop Meeting with Oppositionists

On 3 March the administration of the faculty of technologies of Mazyr State Pedagogic University warned the third-year student Katsiaryna Manchuk about inadmissibility of meetings with activists of youth democratic movement.

04.03.2008 Head of Mahiliou Oblast Executive Committee Calls Police to Follow Himmler’s Rules

Barys Batura instructed the officers to follow the words of the SS head during the official celebration of the Police Day in Mahiliou.

04.03.2008 Siarhei Parsiukevich Arrested for Participation in Entrepreneurs’ Rally

Today by the prosecutor of Maskouski district of Minsk ruled to arrest a leader of the movement of individual entrepreneurs, former police major Siarhei Parsiukevich. The activist was called to testify in the case brought up against him.

04.03.2008 Police Destroy 100 EU Flags

Partyzanski district court of Minsk refused to examine democratic activist Zmitser Barodka’s complaint on destroying by militiamen 100 EU flags, belonged to him.

03.03.2008 Salihorsk: Police Detain Meeting Participants

On 2 March about 300 people gathered in the central square of the town of Salihorsk to take part in a meeting for protection of the social guarantees. The action was violently dispersed by the police with participation of the riot squad that came from Minsk.

03.03.2008 Aliaksei Marozau Detained for Solidarity with Aliaksandr Kazulin

On 2 March, at 7 p.m. the police detained an activist of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (headed by the political prisoner Aliaksandr Kazulin) while hanging out a banner with the demand to release Kazulin near the politician’s house in Starazhouskaya Street in Minsk. The police detained Pavel Marozau with the words: ‘Stand still, bitch, or we will shoot!’. He was guarded to the remand prison in Akrestsin Street and spent the night there. His parents were not informed. Today the activist has been taken to Tsentralny district court of Minsk.

03.03.2008 Asipovichy: Flag over Police House

On 2 March in Asipovichy somebody hanged out a large white-red-white flag over the nine-storeyed house where only policemen live. It hanged above the house for about 45 minutes and then was removed by the ‘vigilant policemen’.

03.03.2008 Police Confiscate 2 000 Copies of Svaboda Newspaper

About 2 000 copies of the non-state newspaper Svaboda were confiscated from an activist of Asipovichy branch of the Young Front Artsiom Dubski.

03.03.2008 Milinkevich in Brest Region: Six Detentions for Two Days

On the way from Brest to the town of Kobryn the road police detained the car by which the leader of For Freedom movement Aliaksandr Milinkevich was driven to a meeting. The car was guarded to the local police department without any explanations. As a result Milinkevich and Co headed for Kobryn on foot. After the meeting the politician was detained for ‘unauthorized action’.

03.03.2008 Policeman Sentenced to 3 Years of Jail for Torturing a Suspect

27-year-old policeman from Pinsk district police department tortured a person, who was suspected in having stolen a radio recorder from the car that belonged to the policeman’s father. In order to get confession from the suspect the policeman first beat him and than handcuffed his hands and feet and hanged him on a crowbar. After the tortures the suspects hands were paralyzed.

03.03.2008 Mazyr Authorities Hinder Meeting of Protestants

On 29 February, at 8 p.m., the police and workers of the ideological department of Mazyr district executive committee paid an unexpected visit to the private house of the pastor of the Full Evangel Church of Jesus Christ in Mazyr.