The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for March 2008

12.03.2008 Faces for Amnesty – Freedom for Prisoners of Conscience In Belarus!

The German branch of the international human rights organization Amnesty International decided to hold an action for release of the political prisoner Aliaksandr Kazulin. Here’s the text of the press-release concerning the action.

12.03.2008 Sum of Absurd Claims to European March Organizers Reaches 10 Million Rubles

Yesterday Savetski district court of Minsk continued the hearings on the suit of the Horremautador state enterprise against the organizers of the European March action which took place on 14 October 2007. The enterprise demands from the defendants Yauhen Afnahel, Zmitser Fedaruk, Viktar Ivashkevich, Anatol Liabedzka, Aliaksandr Milinkevich and Viktar Viachorka 2 135 974 rubles (about 993 US dollars) for additional expenditures on cleaning the streets and removal of litter.

12.03.2008 Use of Punitive Psychiatry Continues: Aliaksandr Kruty Detained and Placed in Psychiatric Hospital

On 3 March Aliaksandr Kruty came to a polyclinic to get registered there. He was met by the policemen, who forcedly took him to the Navinki psychiatric hospital in Minsk.

12.03.2008 Police Draw Violation Report against Aliaksandr Makayeu

On 12 March a leader of the entrepreneurs’ movement, supporter of the For Freedom movement Aliaksandr Makayeu was summonsed to Maskouski district police department (DPD) of Minsk. There the police drew on him a violation report for participation in the meeting of entrepreneurs in Baranavichy on 11 February.

12.03.2008 Brest Authorities Allow Picket for Release of Aliaksandr Kazulin

Brest city executive committee satisfied the application for authorization of a picket in support of release of the former candidate to president, chairman of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party Hramada Aliaksandr Kazulin from jail.

12.03.2008 Activist of ‘For Freedom’ Movement Zarembiuk Haunted by KGB

On 11 March the resident of Masty, activist of the For Freedom movement Ales Zarembiuk spent 2,5 hours at Hrodna oblast KGB office.

12.03.2008 Polatsk: Police Detain Youth with Freedom Day Stickers

In the evening of 11 March in Polatsk the police detained Siarhei Hlinski, activist of the Belarusian Christian Democracy, and Katsiaryna Salauyova, activist of the Young Front. The detainees were guarded to Polatsk town police department and searched. During the search the stickers dedicated to the Freedom Day, 25 March, were found. The detainees were made to write explanatory notes, which can be used for drawing violation reports against them. In an hour Hlinski and Salauyova were released from the police department.

11.03.2008 Scientists against Nuclear Blackmail

Authoritative Belarusian scientists have initiated the movement For Non-nuclear Belarus. Among them there are Professor Heorhi Lepin and the candidates of technical sciences Yahor Fiadziushyn and Viktar Yushko. They intend to oppose to the politically motivated decision of the Belarusian authorities on building a nuclear power plant in the country.

11.03.2008 Police Refuse to Bring Criminal Case on Threats to Khamaida by Russian Neo-Nazis

Pershamaiski district police department of Vitsebsk refuses to bring a criminal case on the fact of mailing threats and anti-Semitic leaflets by unknown persons to the activist of the Conservative-Christian Party Belarusian People’s Front (CCP BPF) Barys Khamaida.

11.03.2008 Trial over ‘European March’ Organizers

Savetski district court of Minsk started hearings on the lawsuit of the state enterprise Horremautador against the organizers of the mass action of the opposition European March, held on 14 October 2007.

11.03.2008 Siarhei Parsiukevich Confronted to ‘Police Victim’

Yesterday the activist of entrepreneurs’ movement Siarhei Parsiukevich was visited by his lawyer Vera Stramkouskaya.

11.03.2008 Education Ministry Ignores Franak Viachorka’s Case

Franak Viachorka, member of the BPF Youth (Belarusian Popular Front), received an answer from the Ministry of Education to his claim against expulsion from faculty of journalism of the Belarusian State University (BSU). In particular, the letter says the claim of the expelled student had been sent to the BSU rector’s office.

11.03.2008 Increase of Taxes: Suppression of Small Business Continues

Recently in different regions of Belarus tax rate for individual entrepreneurs started to be raised.

11.03.2008 Brest: Journalists Detained while Implementing Professional Duties

A group of independent correspondents spent 5 hours in a police department. Besides a colonel, ideological officers of Brest oblast executive committee spoke with them.

10.03.2008 Mikalai Autukhovich Initiates Creation of International Commission for Legal Expertise of Sentences of Belarusian Courts

Several years ago the entrepreneur Mikalai Autukhovich was found guilty in evasion from payment of taxes for transporting passengers and luggage without registration of firm, which resulted in an exceptionally large loss to the budge of the Hrodna city. On 6 June 2006 he was sentenced to 3,5 years in medium security prison with confiscation of property and deprival of the right to business for five years. On 18 January 2008 the imprisonment with replaced with corrective labor. Belarusian human rights activists consider Autukhovich a prisoner of conscience.