18.06.2009 Head of Lukashenka’s administration Makei speaks on death penalty moratorium

Uladzimir Makei, head of the Administration of President Lukashenka, has promised to declare a moratorium on executing death penalties in Belarus in case the country establishes close relationships with the Council of Europe. ‘In case Belarus decides to join the Council of Europe, we will have to raise the issue of introducing a moratorium on the death penalty,’ says Mr.Makei. ‘The issue of the death penalty should not be considered as something stiff. I have had a meeting with Mr.Rigoni, PACE Special Rapporteur on Belarus, and we were discussing the issue for a long time. We have already reduced the number of criminal articles providing for the death penalty, and in practice the sentence has begun to be seldom used.

18.06.2009 Andżelika Borys’ associates not allowed to take part in Union of Poles’ congress

Some 100 members of the Union of Poles in Belarus, with Andżelika Borys at head, were not allowed to take part in the congress of the national minority organization on 12 June in Hrodna. As a result, the activists addressed President Lukashenka with a demand to facilitate the dialogue between the authorities and the Union, which is not recognized by the regime.

17.06.2009 Oppositionists demand to drop charge against human rights activist Svetsik

Several members of the Conservative Christian Party BPF Yan Taupyha, Yan Dziarzhautsau, as well as a non-partisan activist Barys Khamaida, have addressed Judge of Vitsebsk Regional Court Halina Urbanovich with a demand to drop charges against the local human rights activist Leanid Svetsik, who is prosecuted for fomenting national hatred by the local KGB department. They claim that the prosecution is groundless and demand to prosecute the actual offenders who threatened them with violence for their political views. The judge has turned down the motion by the oppositionists, who have declared themselves victims in the case, having strong doubt about the guilt of the accused. Still, she has filed the motion to the case materials.

17.06.2009 Protestant believer fined for distributing Bible

Piotr Malanachkin, member of the Belarusian Evangelical Church, has been detained by Horki police as he was distributing the Bible and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. He was later fined BYR 175,000 by the administrative commission of Horki Town Executive Committee.

17.06.2009 Lawsuit against Sovetskaya Belorussiya turned down

Minsk Savetski Court has turned down the claim by the civil activist Halina Yubko against the Sovetskaya Belorussiya major pro-government newspaper and its journalist Viktar Panamarou, following the publication of an article ‘providing a biased coverage’ of the civil campaign headed by Mrs.Yubko. The activist says she is going to appeal the verdict at Minsk City Court.

16.06.2009 Nasha Viasna to appeal decision by Ministry of Justice

On 16 January the co-founders of the Nasha Viasna human right association Ales Bialiatski, Valiantsin Stefanovich and Uladzimir Labkovich have lodged a complaint with the Supreme Court of Belarus against the decision by the Ministry of Justice to deny registration to the NGO. The complaint stresses that the decision was not legal; the arguments of the Ministry were discriminatory – they violate the rights and the legitimate interests of Nasha Viasna’s founders.

16.06.2009 Female activist to sue major pro-government newspaper Sovetskaya Belorussiya

On 16 June Minsk Savetski Court has commenced hearings of Halina Yubko’s lawsuit against the Sovetskaya Belorussiya newspaper. The activist claims that the newspaper has degraded her honour and dignity by providing a biased coverage of the civil initiative by a number of females fighting for the protection of the rights of their convicted friends and relatives. During a preliminary hearing the defendant said the group of women mentioned in the article had nothing to do with the initiative represented by Mrs.Yubko.

16.06.2009 Two activists detained in Brest

Brest police have arrested two local activists Raman Kisliak and Andrei Sharenda and accused of distributing leaflets. The detainees are currently in Brest Maskouski police department.

16.06.2009 Apartment of Young Front member searched by police

As a result of an unauthorized search of the apartment of Andrei Tsianiuta, Young Front Homel activist, the police seized various printed materials and a personal computer. The activist had earlier been fined for participating in a Mother Language Day rally. However, Andrei Tsianiuta was unable to pay the fine due to financial straits. As a result, the activist’s apartment was visited by court executors. After Mr.Tsianiuta refused to open the door, the executors call the police, who broke into the flat and, seeing independent newspapers and national insignia, called for an investigator.

16.06.2009 Justice ministry denies registration to Party of Freedom and Progress

The justice ministry has denied state registration to the Party of Freedom and Progress (PFP).

The minutes of the nomination meetings for the PFP founding conference show that representation requirements for the conference were violated on many occasions, the justice ministry says in its reply to the registration application.

Despite the ministry's repeated inquiries, the PFP founding committee failed to submit all necessary minutes, the reply says.

In addition, a spot check of the list of the PFP's alleged founders established that many people had been misled into signing it, the ministry says. Many did not take part in nomination meetings or never put their signatures in support of the party's founding, the ministry says.

16.06.2009 Hunger strike of US citizen Emanuel Zeltser in Mahilyou colony lasts one week

The US citizen Emanuel Zeltser continues his hunger strike in the medical unit of the correctional colony of Mahilyou, a lawyer Dzmitry Harachka, who visited the colony on June 15.

The hunger strike lasts since June 8. In this way the American lawyer tries to attract attention to the fact that issuing a special document to him is dragged out. Without the document the administration of the colony cannot consider including him in the amnesty, BelaPAN informs.

On June 11 Harachka sent complaints to the Supreme Court and the office of Prosecutor General against actions of Minsk city court. There is no response to the complaint so far, the lawyer informs.

16.06.2009 Punishment to two participants of Process of 14 mitigated

The Tsentralny district court of Minsk considered suggestions of militia officers to mitigate punishment to Ales Straltsou and Ales Charnyshou.

As Radio Svaboda reports, they guys must have served the remaining term of restraint of liberty (one year, two months and fifteen days). The court changed restraint of liberty to correctional labour. They young men must pay 15 per cent of their payment to the state during this period.

Straltsou and Charnyshou were sentenced to 1.5 years of restraint of liberty in the Case of 14 last year. They were accused of organizing riots during rallies of entrepreneurs.

Though now liberty Straltsou and Charnyshou is not restricted, they don’t have the right to leave the country.

15.06.2009 Kletsk policemen who detained journalists are advised to improve knowledge of legislation

On 17 April Kletsk police detained the journalists Nastassia Krauchuk and Katsiaryna Tkachenka in the center of the town for videoing the local church for making a report about its repairs. They also detained another member of the Belarusian Association of Journalists, the editor of the regional bulleting Boiki Kletsk Siarhei Panamarou, and his son Uladzimir.

15.06.2009 Ales Bialiatski: Belarus still has political prisoners

Commenting on the sentence that was given on 15 June to the participant of the ‘process of 14’ Maxim Dashuk (15 months of personal restraint without direction to open prison facility) the head of the liquidated Human Rights Center Viasna Ales Bialiatski stated:

15.06.2009 Mitigation of sentences to two participants of ‘process of 14’

Tsentralny district court of Minsk has considered the proposals of the police on mitigation of sentences to Ales Charnyshou and Ales Straltsou, both of whom have 2 months and 15 days of personal restraint left to serve.