The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for December 2008

08.12.2008 Leader of entrepreneurs is suspected in larceny

Anatol Shumchanka, leader of the Perspective republican NGO, is suspected of minor larceny. As A.Shumchanka told to BelaPAN, on 5 December he received a writ from Maskouski district court of Minsk ordering him to appear in court for a trial on charges in minor larceny (article 10.5 part 1 of the Administrative Code on 17 December.

08.12.2008 Fireworks in honor of Alexander Barazenka

On 7 December, the last day before the trial, a rally of solidarity with the imprisoned activist of European Belarus campaign Ales Barazenka was held in front of the remand prison in Valadarski Street.

08.12.2008 Katsiaryna Salauyova is charged with assault on policeman

20-year-old Young Front activist Katsiaryna Salauyova, detained on 6 December after a rally of solidarity with Alexander Barazenka, has been released. However, prosecutor’s office launched a check over beating of a policeman by her.

08.12.2008 Ideological pressurization… just like in USSR

On 5 December a pupil of the 10th form of secondary school #1 of Dokshytsy town Pavel Maliuzhanets was called for a conversation with the school administration. The reason was his principal unwillingness to join pro-president BRSM youth organization.

05.12.2008 Hunger-strike on Human Rights Day

On 10 December the Young Front declares a nationwide hunger-strike to mark the end of the organization’s campaign ‘Communism must be brought to tribunal!’. As the Young Front press service informs, at first the organization intended to finish the anti-communist campaign on 8 December, the day when the USSR dissolved. However, later it was decided to postpone the end of the campaign because of the trial over the political prisoner Alexander Barazenka that will start on 10 December as well.

05.12.2008 Homel: Kanstantsin Zhukouski is warned for cooperation with ‘BelSat’

Kanstantsin Zhukouski, activist of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party, has received a letter from the prosecutor’s office of Vetka district. He is warned about unacceptability of cooperation with the Polish TV channel Belsat.

05.12.2008 Minsk: actions in support of Alexander Barazenka continue

Everyday at 7 p.m. young people gather near the doors of the remand prison in Valadarski street to express their solidarity with the political prisoner.

04.12.2008 Barysau: opposition activist is tried in absentia

At the end of November Sviatlana Danilava, a well-known distributor of the independent press from Barysau, received by mail the verdict of Pershamaiski district court of Minsk by which she was fined 700 000 rubles (about $330) for distribution of pre-electoral leaflets with calls to boycott. In the verdict it is also stated that she had not come to the trial.

04.12.2008 Civil activist’s lawsuit concerning election falsifications is turned down

Former opposition MP candidate, representative of the Belarusian Popular Front party was disallowed a claim against the head and the secretary of the polling station election commission.

04.12.2008 Brest: civil activists are fined for protesting

On 3 December the judge of the Leninski district of Brest Andrei Vasiliuk delivered a decision to fine each of three participants of the picket in Lenin square of Brest 70 000 rubles (about $33).

04.12.2008 Financial crisis touches personnel of ‘Atlant’ refrigerator plant

The workers of Atlant have to have unpaid vacations for three weeks. According to the workers, the administration explains it with the financial crisis.

04.12.2008 Navapolatsk:: opposition activists unlawfully kept at sobering station all night

The chairman of Navapolatsk branch of BPF Youth (youth wing of the BPF Party) Mikhas Novikau and a member of the organization Andrus Halavyryn had to sped a night in a sobering station.

04.12.2008 Baranavichy: attempt of unlawful search at human rights activist’s apartment

As human rights activist from Baranavichy Syarhei Housha has said that today, a policeman came to his apartment with an intention to search it. He planned to search forbidden literature which allegedly is kept in his apartment.

03.12.2008 Slonim: procuracy checks the legality of the activities of a precinct election commission

Hrodna oblast procuracy has started a check-up of the legality of the actions of the secretary and the head of a precinct election commission belonging to Slonim election constituency. A former candidate for MP, member of the Belarusian Popular Front Party Ivan Sheha believes that the results of the voting were falsified at this precinct.

03.12.2008 Signatures against construction of nuclear power plant are collected in Astravets district

Ivan Kruk and Mikola Ulasevich, members of the United Civil Party from Astravets, have started collecting signatures against construction of a nuclear power plant on the territory of Astravets district.