The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for May 2009

13.05.2009 Beaten activist filed complaint to prosecutor’s office

On 7 May before the action of solidarity that was held by democratic activists to mark the tenth anniversary of disappearance of Yury Zakharanka, the police detained several persons near Kastrychnitskaya metro station. Among the detainees there were Raman Bahdanovich, Siarhei Kazakou, Anatol Liabedzka, Aliaksei Senchyla and Maxim Serhiyets. The warrant officer Dzianis Korsak put down their passport data. Then the detainees were taken to a police bus, where they were beaten by policemen.

13.05.2009 Baranavichy: police detain ‘Young Front’ activist Piatro Ruzau

In the night of 12-13 May in Baranavichy the police detained the activist Piatro Ruzau for making graffiti ‘Freedom to political prisoners!’ and ‘Freedom to Autukhovich!’ on the walls of the local meat processing and packing factory in the center of the city.

13.05.2009 Detention of youth activists in Minsk

On 12 May the Young Front Minsk coordinator Pavel Kuryianovich and an activist Viktoryia Ladzis were detained in Minsk.

12.05.2009 Mahiliou: court turns down striker’s complaint

On 12 May Kastrychnitski district court of Mahiliou turned down the complaint of the activist of the Free Trade Union Belarus (FTUB), employee of Lausanbud enterprise Mikalai Rasiuk.

12.05.2009 Mahiliou: fine for religious activities

According to information of the BelaPAN, on 11 May the judge of Kastrychnitski district court of Mahiliou Iryna Tsiaplova fined the entrepreneur Liudmila Batsiuk, member of the international organization House on the Rock 140 000 rubles (about $50) for illegal religious activities.

12.05.2009 Military court refuses to confess drafting of Franak Viachorka unlawful

Belarusian Military Court left in force the verdict of the inter-garrison military court, according to which the forced drafting of Franak Viachorka into the army corresponded to the national legislation.

12.05.2009 Belarusian Christian Democracy Party gets no registration

Co-chairmen of the Belarusian Christian Democracy party call the decision of the authorities illegal and ungrounded. According to them, the Justice Ministry has simply executed a political order.

12.05.2009 No premises for Congress of Belarusians

On 7 May the Republican Art gallery in Minsk, owned by the Artists’ Union, refused to lend premises to the World Alliance of Belarusians Batskawshchyna the premises for holding the 5th Congress of the organization.

12.05.2009 Brest: desecration of monument to ghetto prisoners

The monument to ghetto prisoners in Brest center at intersection of Dziarzhynsk and Kuibyshau Streets, was desecrated in the night of 9-10 May.

12.05.2009 Democratic activist beaten for T-shirt with ‘Pahonia’ coat of arms

Hooligans beat the democratic activist Ales Tsialehin. The victim told RFE/RL he was walking with an entrepreneur for a meeting. Two unknown young men came up to them near the Kuntsaushchyna metro station and asked why he was wearing a T-shirt with Pahonia .

12.05.2009 ‘Young Social Democrats’ denied registration

The Ministry of Justice of Belarus refused to register the pubic association Young Social Democrats – Young Hramada.

12.05.2009 Professor Andrei Kaliada beaten by Russian commando

A barbarous occurrence took place on 10 May in Minsk: a Russian special purpose troops ("spetsnaz") officer with 10 years of fighting experience in Chechnya cruelly beat up Professor Andrei Kaliada.

11.05.2009 Neonazi attack activists of ‘BNF Youth’

On 9 May several teenagers in Navapolatsk, who call themselves members of the neo-Nazi organization Russian National Unity attacked girls, activists of the local branch of the BNF Youth (youth organization of the Belarusian Popular Front party).