18.05.2009 Riot militia against participants of solidarity rally in Minsk: new arrests of oppositionists

Activists of “Young Front” and “European Belarus” were detained for they went to October square with portraits of political prisoners on May 16.

20 youth activists gathered in Minsk center at 6.00 p.m. to hold a traditional rally of solidarity. The participants of the action were holding portraits of political prisoners Mikalai Autukhovich, Yury Lyavonau, and Uladzimir Asipenka and raised a national white-red-white flag.

Riot militiamen in uniform and in mufti stood on the square and hindered holding the rally for 15 minutes. When demonstrators went away in small groups, Pavel Kuryanovich, Yullia Mikhailava, Viktoria Ladis and Bahuslau Revyakou were detained in a pedestrian subway. The oppositionists were guarded to a militia station on “Kastrychnitskaya” metro station.

15.05.2009 Prosecutor’s office refuses to inform Zinaida Hanchar on investigation of kidnap of her husband

Zinaida Hanchar, whose husband, opposition politician Viktar Hanchar was kidnapped in September 1999, has been trying to receive information from the prosecutor’s office about preliminary results of the investigation of the case of disappearance of her husband. The prosecutor’s office ignores all requests by her.

15.05.2009 The trial of Maxim Dashuk to start on 1 June

Hearing of the criminal case against activist of the civil campaign European Belarus Maxim Dashuk at Maskouski district court of Minsk is appointed for June 1.

15.05.2009 MPs approved the decree on extraordinary taking children away from asocial parents

At its 15 May sitting the Chamber of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus adopted the amendments to presidential decree #18 of 24 November 2006 On additional measures for the state protection of children in disadvantaged families.

15.05.2009 Vitsebsk: Barys Khamaida detained again

The opposition activist Barys Khamaida has been detained once more near the ‘blue house’ in Lenin Street 28, Vitsebsk where he usually distributes independent press.

15.05.2009 Minsk city executive committee ignores request of Party of Communists Belarus for accommodation of its assembly

As stated by the secretary of the PCB central committee Valer Ukhnaliou, Minsk CEC still hasn’t given any answer to the request of the PCB for accommodating a congress of the party. The request was filed to the city authorities on 12 April.

15.05.2009 Police disbanded rally ‘For Independence!’

On 14 May a rally of the opposition timed to the anniversary of referendum on changing state symbols and introduction of two state languages was disbanded in Minsk. Dozens of riot policemen with truncheons clashed with people under white-red-white flags.

15.05.2009 Minsk: court defends ‘Sovetskaya Belorussiya’

The court of Savetski district of Minsk dismissed the claim of the human rights defender Aleh Vouchak to Sovetskaya Belorussia, a newspaper of Lukashenka’s Administration for defense of honor, dignity and business reputation.

14.05.2009 Uladzimir Labkovich: We can forecast that ‘Nasha Viasna’ won’t be registered again

Members of the civil human rights association Nasha Viasna, the documents for the state registration of which have been once again passed to the Ministry of Justice, inform that officers of the Ministry of Justice calls to their jobs and ask various questions concerning the life and activities of the people who became the founders of the NGO.

14.05.2009 Brest: first detentions before ‘For Freedom’ March

On 14 May at 12 a.m. near the railway station in Brest the police detained the youth activists Mikhail Iliin and Andrei Sharenda for ‘identification’ and guarded them to Leninski district police department. The detained activists were heading for the ‘For Freedom’ march that will to take place on 6 p.m. in Minsk. The detention was explained by an anonymous telephone call informing the police about two people who were behaving like hooligans at the railway station and whose appearance allegedly resembled the detained activists.

14.05.2009 Belarusian Internet provider passes KGB warning to their clients

On 13 May the clients of SOLO Internet service provider have received a strange letter from the director of the company.

14.05.2009 Minsk: picket of solidarity with political prisoners

An action of solidarity with Mikalai Autukhovich, Yury Liavonau and Uladzimir Asipenka was held near the pre-trial detention center #1 of the police department of Minsk city executive committee.

14.05.2009 Belarus is on the fourth position in electronic media control rating

According to the research of an independent US company Cryptohippie, Belarus takes the third position in the rating of the countries with the strongest electronic control.

14.05.2009 Is compulsory sterilization of women carried out in Belarus?

78 per cent of asocial women in Niasvizh district were inserted intrauterine devices or sterilized.

14.05.2009 Pavel Kuryianovich gets fined for stickers

The trial over the Young Front activist Pavel Kuryianovich took place in the court of Pershamaiski district of Minsk.