16.01.2009 No benefits for Chernobyl disaster fighters

The new law on social security for Chernobyl disaster fighters appears to be a mere compilation of previous legislative acts. On 14 January president Lukashenka approved the law ‘On the social protection of the Chernobyl disaster victims and other nuclear accidents’. The act is ‘to secure adequate level of social protection for the Chernobyl disaster victims’. However, the ‘adequate level’ lacks free public transport travel and other benefits lifted by the president’s decree in late 2007.

16.01.2009 Young activist Franak Viachorka to join army on 26 January

As we have reported before, today police using violence detained leader of BPF’s Youth Franak Viachorka. He was taken to Savetski borough military registration and enlistment office and told he was fit for military service. After that he was served call-up papers for 26 January and released. The police also detained his mother who tried to penetrate the military registration and enlistment office. The Human Rights Center Viasna states there are no real grounds for trusting any medical report drawn up under an apparent pressure by the KGB. The Human Rights Center Viasna considers such actions a politically-motivated harassment. We remind Belarusian authorities that such lawless attempts to persecute youth activists do not contribute to the situation in the field of human rights in Belarus.

16.01.2009 Mahiliou entrepreneurs to sue town authorities

Mahiliou Leninski borough court is due to try the case of ex-parliamentary candidate Ihar Kavalenka vs. Mahiliou town authorities. The plaintiff is trying to register an action group to hold a local referendum. Kavalenka claims he is representative of the group. On 30 December judge Tarasava obliged Kavalenka to secure appearance of all the members of the group.

16.01.2009 Opposition activist awarded default judgment

On 15 December Kalinkavichy district court executor in a special letter demanded that United Civic Party activist Dzianis Rabianok pay a BYR 1,500,000 fine awarded to him by Elsk district court for ‘violations of electoral legislation’ in absentia.

15.01.2009 Under-aged Maksim Andreyeu to defend his rights

The 15-year-old Maksim Andreyeu, who, in defiance of the international Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Belarusian Constitution, had been deprived of his right to live with his parents and forced to undergo treatment at a mental hospital, was visited by a Belarusian Helsinki Committee human rights expert Pavel Levinau in Vetryn orphan boarding house where he had been sent by a decision by the Kastrychnitski borough administration of Vitsebsk.

15.01.2009 Young Front activist faces criminal prosecution for draft dodging

Siarzhuk Huminski, member of the Young Front movement, who was forced to leave Belarus due to political oppression from the state and has spent over a year in Poland, is now facing criminal sentence for draft dodging. The activist is officially wanted by the police.

15.01.2009 Human Rights Watch condemns Bush and Belarus

The international human rights organization Human Rights Watch has released its annual report on the implementation of international agreements in the field of human rights throughout the world.

15.01.2009 Asipovichy activist regains property

Ihar Simbirou has been able to take back the newspapers confiscated by the KGB during a mass search campaign in March 2008. The searches were conducted by the police and the KGB officers on charges of contempt against Belarusian president.

15.01.2009 Hrodna University brings to account politically active student

Aleh Pronski, For Freedom activist and coordinator of the For European Masty Region campaign, has been questioned by Aliaksandr Duduk, vice-rector of Hrodna State Agriculture University, concerning his public activity. During the conversation that lasted for about ten minutes, Aleh was shown photos taken during the Kalinouski brothers annual memorial festival in Svislach and other materials on the event from the dzida.org web-site.

15.01.2009 All males of Belarus to be fingerprinted

The Ministry of Internal Affaires of Belarus has filed an application demanding to amend the law on dactylography.

The Ministry of Internal Affaires of Belarus filed application to the Security Council and the Council of Ministers for amending article 1 of the law on state dactylography, minister of internal affaires Uladzimir Navumau told at après conference in Minsk on Thursday, Interfax reports.

15.01.2009 EP resolution on Belarus: No concessions in democracy matters

The European Parliament has adopted a provisional resolution on the political situation in Belarus.

The resolution was adopted by 551 votes in favour, 15 against and 31 abstentions.

14.01.2009 Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in December 2008

The last month of the year summed up its results and eloquently showed that, despite the demonstrative wish of the authorities to lead a dialogue with the West, the situation of Human Rights remained the same. On one hand, two (only two!) independent newspapers were returned to the state distribution system, the republican Human Rights and the educational association For Freedom was registered (on the fourth attempt). On the other hand, the pressurization of dissidents continued.

14.01.2009 Zinaida Hanchar: ‘Change of investigators of the case of disappearance of my husband gives no results, as no concrete work is done’

Zinaida Hanchar, wife of the kidnapped vice-speaker of the Supreme Soviet of the 13th Convocation Viktar Hanchar, has received a letter from Minsk city prosecutor’s office with the information that the investigation of the case was extended to 24 March 2009 and will be lead by a new investigator – Yu.Varauka. Of course, Mrs. Hanchar wanted to have a meeting with the news investigator. On 12 January she phoned to him with such a proposal. The investigator answered that there were no reasons for a meeting. He said that in the case she wanted to meet with him, she needed to submit an official petition with grounding of the reasons and then the prosecutor’s office would decided whether there was any need for the meeting.

14.01.2009 Ales Zarembiuk demands that subscription to ‘Hazeta Slonimskaya’ and ‘Novy Chas’ be returned

The member of the For Freedom movement Ales Zarembiuk applied to the director general of the republican unitary enterprise with the proposal to include Hazeta Slonimskaya and Novy Chas into the subscription catalogue. ‘Hazeta Slonimskaya is the only non-state socio-political edition on the territory of Hrodna oblast,’ emphasizes the activist. He calls the authorities not to create artificial obstacles on the newspapers’ way to the readers.

14.01.2009 US lawyers accuse Belarusian authorities of torturing Zeltser

Patton Boggs law firm has filed an urgent complaint with a UN Special Rapporteur on Torture demanding to investigate torturing of Emanuel Zeltser.