The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for January 2009

12.01.2009 Baranavichy: entrepreneurs protest

On 12 December at 12 a.m. a protest of small entrepreneurs took place in Baranavichy in Lenin Square near the building of town executive committee. The people protested against the increase of taxes and payment for trade places.

12.01.2009 ‘European Belarus’ activists get arrested for handing out porridge

On 11 January activists of the civil campaign European Belarus unfurled a poster Crisis came to country! Handout! and brought a 25-liter pot of buckwheat porridge near Kamarouski Market of Minsk.

12.01.2009 'Naftan': Belarusian authorities continue violating rights of independent trade unions

After Polimir Company joined Naftan oil refinery, the Independent Trade Union applied for re-registration.

09.01.2009 Review-chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in October-November 2008

At the end of September the elections to the Chamber of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus were over. In October the candidates continued appealing against the official results. The Central Election Commission received 35 complaints. At its sitting on 13 October the CEC rejected the complaints of 27 candidates. On 24 October five more complaints were turned down as well. Mikalai Lazavik, secretary of the Central Election Commission, stated that the plaintiffs had no more instances to complain to: ‘according to the election laws in such issues the decision of the Central Election Commission is final and is without appeal’.

09.01.2009 Salihorsk: individual entrepreneurs refuse to pay rent

The administration of the two markets of Salihorsk is in panic. The overwhelming majority of entrepreneurs refuse to sign agreements with new rent costs. Instead they send to state organs collective complaints and present to the markets’ administration collective complaints.

09.01.2009 Lukashenka signs law on office of European Commission in Belarus

Alexander Lukashenka signed the law on representation of the European Commission in Belarus. The law was adopted by the parliament in December 2008.

09.01.2009 6 000 signatures for referendum in Mahiliou

Leninski district court of Mahiliou accepted for consideration the lawsuit of Ihar Kavalenka, dweller of Salominka suburb, against Mahiliou city executive committee. The executive committee refused to register the initiative group on holding of local referendum, which became the reason for the lawsuit. The trial was appointed on 16 January.

09.01.2009 Journalist of ‘Narodnaya Volia’ still gets no accreditation

Narodnaya Volia newspaper editorial office is going to file a court claim against the Chamber of Representatives of Belarus that refused to issue a journalist accreditation to Maryna Koktysh, a correspondent of the newspaper.

08.01.2009 Authoriteis pressurize activists of anti-nuclear campaign

Representatives of the local authorities started paying visits to homes of the organizers of the campaign against construction of the nuclear power station in order to ‘find more about their civil position’.

08.01.2009 Brest: court supports prohibition of ‘March of Petty Hooligans’

The College Board on civil cases of Brest oblast court upheld the prohibition of the March of Petty Hooligans by Brest city executive committee.

08.01.2009 Baranavichy: UCP activist got fired

The administration of Baranavichy weaving factory did not prolong the labor contract to an activist of the United Civil Party Ryhor Hryk. According to the activist, it is connected to his political activities.

08.01.2009 Authorities prohibit anti-nuclear rally again

Smarhon authorities again banned a picket against construction of a nuclear power station in Astravets district. They explained it by saying that the president still had not signed the appropriate order.

08.01.2009 Alexander Haliyeu, Pavel Sapelka and Maryiana Siameshka declared the best lawyers of 2008

Summing up the results of the last year, the independent newspaper Nasha Niva published its rating Persons of the year. Alexander Haliyeu, Pavel Sapelka and Maryiana Siameshka were mentioned in the nomination Attorney of the year.

08.01.2009 Army drafting as a means for neutralization of political activists

Pavel Kuryianovich, activist of the civil campaign European Belarus, is threatened with being drafter to the army.

08.01.2009 Minsk: printing house refuses to print Borisovskiye Novosti

Since the begging of this year independent social and political newspaper Borisovskiye Novosti has been deprived a possibility to be printed, and to be distributed via its own retail network.