The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for July 2008

11.07.2008 Hrodna: police are after Mikola Markevich’s sons

On 11 July Hrodna journalist, former political prisoner Mikola Markevich informed RFE/RL that his sons Aliaksei and Mikola are summonsed to the police.

11.07.2008 Book offices watch foreign travels

Since 1 July the international book offices of Minsk bus stations gather the passport data of the passengers who travel to Lithuania and Poland. Now it is necessary to present a passport or its Xerox copy to book a ticket. The administration of the book offices said to ERB that this information was gathered for ‘higher authorities’, who needed to know where the citizens travelled.

11.07.2008 Hrodna: pressurization of democratic nominee to electoral commission

In Hrodna the director of Hrodna electro-technical college Dzemchanka demanded that Alexander Pahuliayeu, teacher of this college, revoked his candidacy from Hrodna village district electoral commission #52. Pahuliayeu has been nominated there by the United Civil Party.

11.07.2008 Pastor’s house set afire thrice this month

According to the informational center Evangelic Belarus, at 3.30 a.m. on 10 July in Mahiliou there has been committed an attempt of arson of a private house belonging to Viktar Masharouski, pastor of Mahiliou church of Evangelic Christians.

11.07.2008 Vitsebsk: Barys Khamaida gets imprisoned as a result of provocation

On 8, 9 and 10 July the police detained Barys Khamaida for handing out independent press. Each time he was detained for two hours and then was released.

11.07.2008 Homel: authorities prohibit collecting signatures for nomination of candidates to electoral commissions

The resident of Homel Yanina Kavalchuk has complained to RFE/RL that obstacles have been put to her while she was collecting signatures for nomination of the representative of the Independent trade union of radio electronic industry Viktar Kazou to Homel-Navabelitskaya district electoral commission #36.

11.07.2008 Police pay a visit to Zmitser Bandarenka’s apartment

On 11 July police visited the apartment of Charter'97 coordinator, one of the leaders of the civil campaign European Belarus Zmitser Bandarenka. His wife was there at the moment, and she refused to let them enter. So far policemen haven’t tried to smash the door open.

11.07.2008 13 persons in jail: groundless arrests of opposition activists continue

After the blast of a home-made bomb at the concert on 4 July Illia Bohdan, Siarhei Chyslau, Anton Koipish, Ihar Korsak, Pavel Kuryianovich Miraslau Lazouski, Viktar Liashchynski, Mikhail Pashkevich, Kiryl Paulouski, Tatsiana Pikun, Alexander Siarheyenka, Vital Stazharau and Siarhei Vysotski have been detained.

11.07.2008 Human Rights Watch calls Prosecutor General to drop charges against Andrei Kim

Human Rights Watch is an international, nonpartisan, nongovernmental human rights organization with offices around the world, including New York, London, Berlin, Geneva, Brussels, Moscow, and Tashkent. Its Europe and Central Asia division has monitored and urged compliance with the human rights provisions of the 1975 Helsinki Accords in signatory countries and with international human rights law since the organization was formed in 1978. We are writing to express our profound concern about the recent arrests and disproportionate sentences of 10 youth activists for participating in a peaceful, but unsanctioned, protest on January 10, 2008. We are especially concerned about Andrei Kim, who is among these ten and who was arrested at a subsequent peaceful protest on January 21. He was charged with violations related to both protests and received a disproportionately harsh sentence for offences based on what we believe to be political reasons.

10.07.2008 Cassation complaint on the ‘case of 14’ is to be considered on 22 July

The cassation complaint concerns 10 of the 13 tried activists and will be considered by Minsk cit court on 22 July.

10.07.2008 Brest: Yury Bakur complains to UN Human Rights Committee

Mr. Bakur decided to apply to the UN Human Rights Committee after going through all court instances of Belarus with complaints against the verdict of Maskouski district court of Brest, by which he had been fined 93 000 rubles (about $43).

10.07.2008 Belarusian Helsinki Committee becomes a partner of the Council of Europe

On 10 July the office of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee received the information that the Council of Europe has granted to it the status of a partner, thereby acknowledging the working relations which have been established between it and BHC.

10.07.2008 Authorities persecute members of Young Front in connection with 4 July blast

On 9 July the activist of the Young Front Yaraslau Hryshchenia was summonsed to Baranavichy district police department for giving explanations concerning the blast which had taken place in the night of 3-4 July, during the celebration of the official Independence Day.

10.07.2008 Mikalai Charnavus is deprived of building because of intention to run at the parliamentary elections

The political activist Mikalai Charnavus stands in the single list of candidates to the parliament, composed by the United Democratic Forces. His candidacy has been nominated by the NGO For Free Development of Business. Mr. Charnavus intends to run at Baranavichy western electoral district #5. He states that the authorities started harassing him for it. At present he is deprived of the building side for a café.

10.07.2008 79% of state TV poll believe that the Belarusian authorities stand behind 4 July blast

In the morning of 10 July the web-site of the ONT state TV channel held the public poll concerning the organization of the bomb blast during the celebration of the official Independence Day. 79% of respondents (640 persons) consider that the blast has been organized by the authorities, 10% voted for hooligans, 7% - for terrorists. The smallest number of votes was given for the opposition – 3,7% (30 persons). All in all, 810 persons took part in the poll before 11.25 a.m. when it was removed from the site.