The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for March 2009

05.03.2009 Brest: court upholds picket ban

The judge of Leninski district court of Brest Alena Dzenisenka turned down the complaint of the human rights activist Reman Kisliak and three more people against the ruling of Brest city executive committee for banning their picket in the center of the city.

05.03.2009 Yana Paliakova sentenced to 2.5 years of personal restraint

On 3 March the court of the Salihorsk district delivered the judgment in the criminal case against human rights activist Yana Paliakova.

05.03.2009 Government legalizes mass dismissals of workers

The ministry of labor and social welfare is authorized to set criterions of mass release of workers.

05.03.2009 Kasia Kamotskaya: ‘Death penalty is a trait of great backwardness of a country’

The leader of the legendary rock-band Novaye Neba and producer of documentaries Kasia Kamotskaya has joined the campaign against death penalty in Belarus and stated that the abolishment of this penalty would be another step of Belarus towards the family of free democratic countries:

05.03.2009 Let’s join Belarus to the world that is free from death penalty

Belarus is the only country on the post-Soviet space where capital punishment still exists, death sentences are issued and convicts are executed.

04.03.2009 Valiantsin Stefanovich: no one can prohibit human rights activities to me

Lawyer Valiantsin Stefanovich, one of the founders of the civil human rights association Nasha Viasna, gave the following commentary concerning the registration denial:

04.03.2009 Authorities stage fake public discussion concerning construction of nuclear power plant in Astravets

In Astravets the authorities organized an ‘open meeting’ for discussion of the construction of a nuclear power station in Astravets.

04.03.2009 Another warning for ‘BelSat’

The member of the Belarusian Association of Journalists from Homel Aleh Razhkou received by mail an official warning from Homel oblast prosecutor’s office for ‘journalist activities in favor of the Polish satellite TV channel BelSat’.

04.03.2009 Authorities demand that Siarhei Parsiukevich pays compensation to policeman

Former political prisoner Siarhei Parsiukevich must pay compensation for ‘moral damage’ to the policeman who was beating him.

04.03.2009 Fined for action in support of Belarusian language

The court of Tsentralny district of Homel has fined participants of the rally in support of the native language 525 000 rubles ($185).

04.03.2009 Belarusians of the world cannot find accommodation for assembly

The fifth world convention of Belarusians of the world, organized by the World Alliance of Belarusians Batskawshchyna has been scheduled for 18-19 July. Delegates from 29 countries are going to take part in it.

04.03.2009 Provocation against Anzhalika Borys

Fake obscene photos were planted to mail boxes of Anzhalika Borys' neighbors. They appeared in the mailboxes of the block of flats where the chairperson of the officially unrecognized Union of Poles in Belarus lives on 3 March. Anzhalika Borys was depicted on the picture edited in Photoshop.

04.03.2009 Belarusian MFA didn’t register ‘Belsat’ TV channel

The Ministry of Foreign Affaires of Belarus denied registration to Minsk bureau of the Belsat TV channel.

03.03.2009 'Young Front' activists are fined for action in front of presidential administration

Five activists of the Young Front were detained for an unauthorized picket. They were standing with a streamer ‘No to political terror!’ in front of the administration of Lukashenka.

03.03.2009 Astravets: civil activist Ivan Kruk questioned concerning an attempt of arson

The police interrogated the civil activist Ivan Kruk within the frames of the criminal case that had been brought on the fact of an attempt of arson of the office of Hrodna oblast department of the State Control Committee. At night of 6-7 February unknown persons broke the window by throwing a bottle with unidentified mixture.