The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for January 2009

14.01.2009 Another civil activist is expelled from educational establishment

Aliaksei Zmushko, coordinator of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy in Rechytsa, has been expelled from Agricultural Academy of Horki.

13.01.2009 Supreme Economic Court deprives Protestants of their church

The Supreme Economic Court ruled that the parish of Minsk Protestant Church New Life must leave its building.

13.01.2009 Minsk city court turns down Alexander Barazenka’s appeal

On 13 January Minsk city court considered the cassation appeal of the political prisoner Barazenka against the verdict that had been issued to him by Tsentralny district court of Minsk as one of the defendants in the ‘case of 14’.

13.01.2009 Fired ex-candidate to parliament can’t get his workbook

Ex-candidate to the Chamber of Representatives, locksmith Ryhor Hryk has been fired from Baranavichy cotton alliance. He is admitted neither to the workshop where he used to work, nor to the administration offices.

13.01.2009 Should citizens pay money for radio program in mother-tongue?

Dwellers of Baranavichy are trying to make the local authorities permit Belarusian-language program I Love My Land be transmitted by the local radio.

13.01.2009 Schoolmaster threatens ‘Young Front’ activist with imprisonment

Recently an activist of Homel branch of the Young Front Andrus Kuzmin has been called for a conversation to the headmaster of his school in connection to his detention during New Year celebrations.

13.01.2009 The practice of using drafts into the army as a means of struggle against opponents is getting widespread in Belarus

The practice of using the army for isolation and pressurization of civil and political activist is revived in Belarus. First of all, such pressurization is used towards youth activist, the majority of who were expelled from the Belarusian high schools because of their civil and political activities and therefore lost the right to determent from army service.

12.01.2009 Death Penalty in Belarus

The right to life is a fundamental human right. The state must protect human life from all unlawful attempts and other threats and provide legal, social, economical, ecological and other conditions for a normal and worthy life.

12.01.2009 Authorities disrupt parents’ assembly at St.Symon and Alena Church

An assembly of the parents whose children study in Poland on Kalinouski educational program (organized for the people who were expelled from Belarusian high schools because of their political activities) was to have taken place at St. Symon and Alena Church in Minsk at 11 a.m.

12.01.2009 Salihorsk: police detain trade union activist

On 12 December in Salihorsk the police detained an activist of the independent trade union of radio-electronic industry (ITUREI) Mikalai Pakhabau.

12.01.2009 Ideological department bans ‘Nasha Niva’ advertisement in tube

In December, after the Belarusian authorities agreed to return Nasha Niva to newsstands and to the official subscription catalog, the editorial office of the newspaper applied to the advertisement service of Minsk tube for placing an advertisement there.

12.01.2009 Brest authorities ban pickets

Recently the civil activists Raman Kisliak, Iryna Laurouskaya and Dzianis Turchyniak have received from Brest city executive committee an answer to their application for authorization of a series of pickets.

12.01.2009 Criminal case against Kurapaty vandals is dropped

Barauliany branch of Minsk district police department dropped the criminal case against the two youngsters who were detained on the eve of Dziady holiday (ancestors’ day, celebrated on 2 November) for breaking memorial crosses in Kurapaty wood, where many people were shot during Stalin’s rule.