The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for February 2009

05.02.2009 Minsk authorities send opposition activists to Banhalor Square again

Minsk city executive committee has named Bangalore Square as the place for gathering of the group collecting signatures for amendment of the Electoral Code.

05.02.2009 'Young Front' sues to court against Lukashenka’s agreements with Russia

On 5 February the Young Front has sent a petition to the Constitutional Court with a call to recognize agreements with Russia signed on 3 and 4 February as inconsistent with the Belarusian legislation.

05.02.2009 Belarusian Christian Democracy Party cannot hold its constituent assembly

The owners of 10 Minsk halls refused to provide premises for the constituent assembly of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party refused to lend them for the constituent assembly of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party.

05.02.2009 Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in January 2009

The universal financial crisis did not pass Belarus. The National Bank set a new currency exchange rate, as a result of which the Belarusian ruble was at once devalued by 20%, which inflicted loss to ordinary citizens and the importers who bought goods for currency.

04.02.2009 ‘Belposhta’ refuses to subscribe readers to independent press, referring to Constitution

Three weeks ago a member of the council of the For Freedom movement Ales Zarembiuk received an answer to his address to A.Charniak, the head of the state monopolist on subscription Belposhta. In his address to the official Zarembiuk proposed that Belposhta returned the non-state newspapers Novy Chas and Hazeta Slonimskaya to the subscription catalog.

04.02.2009 The use of tortures against opposition is the reality for Lukashenka’s Belarus

Belarusian human rights activists report about facts of torturing of the opposition by representatives of the Belarusian law machinery.

04.02.2009 Human rights activists have a meeting with vice-Minister of Justice

The Minister of Justice accepts citizens only once a months, on the first Wednesday. On 4 February the Belarusian human rights activists, founders of the Nasha Viasna NGO Ales Bialiatski and Tatsiana Reviaka came to the Ministry of Justice to meet with the minister. However, the official was away and the audience was held by the vice-minister Alexander Simanau.

04.02.2009 Vitsebsk: police detain Barys Khamaida for handing out leaflets

On 4 February officers of Chyhunachny district police department of Vitsebsk detained the well-known opposition activist Barys Khamaida for handing out leaflets with the national emblem Pahonia. The matter is that the authorities of Vitsebsk oblast propose to make Pahonia the official emblem of Vitsebsk oblast, but take as sample the emblem of Vitsebsk oblast in the times of the Russian Empire.

04.02.2009 Belarus is cited among the most dangerous countries for journalists

The international journalist community has composed a list of the countries that are most dangerous for representatives of mass media.

04.02.2009 Supreme Court and Office of Prosecutor General considered address of citizens concerning unfair court verdicts to their relatives

As it follows from the letter that has been received by a resident of Minsk Liudmila Kuchura from Stanislau Buko, the head of the main department of the presidential administration on work with applications of citizens and legal entities, on the errand of the president the Supreme Court and the Prosecutor General considered the address of the citizens who disagree with the court verdicts issued on the criminal and administrative cases against their relatives.

03.02.2009 Huge fines for anti-KGB rally

Activists of the Young Front and the Belarusian Christian Democracy have been fined millions of rubles for the rally staged against arbitrary actions of the KGB.

03.02.2009 Office of Prosecutor General leaves warning to Liabedzka and Pashkevich in force

The Office of the Prosecutor General upheld the official warning that had been issued by the deputy Prosecutor General Aliaksei Stuk to the leader of the United Civil Party and the leader of the UCP youth wing, Young Democrats, Mikhail Pashkevich, for having allegedly organized the printing of the newspaper Glotok Vozdukha.

03.02.2009 Belarusian courts ignore UN rulings

Leninski district court of Minsk refused to consider a complaint against the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that ignores the UN ruling prescribing the legal rehabilitation of the Civil Initiatives NGO.

03.02.2009 Hunger-strike in Hantsavichy

A resident of Hantsavichy Alexander Zanka has been sentenced to ten days of arrest for having allegedly insulted the headmaster of the local polyclinics Vasil Nestsiarovich and has gone on a hunger-strike under arrest.

03.02.2009 Brest opposition is discriminated

Brest human rights activist Raman Kisliak came to this conclusion after getting an answer from Brest city executive committee to his inquiry concerning the actions that had been authorized by Brest city executive committee and had taken place at the Locomotive stadium.