The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for June 2009

04.06.2009 Östgruppen joins the campaign for abolishment of Article 193.1

Members of the Swedish human rights initiative Östgruppen stated their support to the campaign for abolishment of Article 193.1 of the Criminal Code of Belarus that provides criminal punishment for participation in unregistered organization. The campaign has been launched by the Assembly of Pro-democratic NGOs.

04.06.2009 Brest: youth activist Yauhen Skrabets detained by representatives of military enlistment office

On 4 June the activist of Brest branch of Young Front Yauhen Skrabets was detained near his porch by the police and representatives of the military enlistment office. He was pulled into a car and guarded to Brest oblast hospital for medical examination. His telephone was taken away.

04.06.2009 Human rights defenders cannot be prohibited to implement their duties

On 3June in Minsk there was held the joint press-conference of the founders of the CHRA Nasha Viasna and the Assembly of Pro-democratic NGOs dedicated to non-registration of both associations by the Ministry of Justice.

04.06.2009 Supreme Court does not grant the lawsuit of the Assembly of Pro-democratic NGOs against the Ministry of Justice

The head of the human rights association Belarusian Helsinki Committee Aleh Hulak informed the BelaPAN that the Supreme Court did not grant the lawsuit of the Assembly of Pro-democratic NGOs against the Ministry of Justice that had refused to give the official registration to the civil association.

04.06.2009 Vitsesbk: another fine to Barys Khamaida

Vitsebsk activist Barys Khamaida has been fined 105 000 rubles (about $37) for alleged blocking the main street of the city.

04.06.2009 Investigation into case of political prisoner Dubski extended for indefinite term

Artsiom Dubski, a person involved in the ‘Process of 14’, is charged with violation of the rules of serving the sentence.

Hanna Khitryk: ‘The state must not kill people. The state is the people who we elected, who we rely on and who we trust. If the people who we trust will be assassins, what people are they and what people are we if we have elected them?’

03.06.2009 Hanna Khitryk: ‘The state must not kill people. The state is the people who we elected, who we rely on and who we trust. If the people who we trust will be assassins, what people are they and what people are we if we have elected them?’

The actor of Yanka Kupala National Theater Hanna Khitryk, songwriter of the Detidetey rock band has jointed the campaign against the death penalty in Belarus. Expressing her opinion on this issue, Hanna pointed that ‘to wish somebody death is to spoil oneself… and if you are for the death penalty, you are also for war’.

03.06.2009 Franak Viachorka placed to hospital

As said to BelaPAN by his father, the political activist Franak Viachorka has been put in military medical center #290 in Babruisk for complex examination because of troubles with heart and joints.

Systematic registration denials to ‘Nasha Viasna’ witness about the non-readiness of the Belarusian authorities to democratic transformations in the country

03.06.2009 Systematic registration denials to ‘Nasha Viasna’ witness about the non-readiness of the Belarusian authorities to democratic transformations in the country

On 25 May 2009 the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus ruled to deny the state registration to the civil human rights association Nasha Viasna.

03.06.2009 Autukhovich to spen another month in jail

The investigation of the case of the political prisoner Mikalai Autukhovich is extended for a month till 3 July. The entrepreneur has lost 25 kilograms for 1.5 months of hunger strike. He demands that the case be passed to court as soon as possible or the restraint to him be changed.

02.06.2009 Aleh Vouchak appeals against the verdict on his lawsuit to ‘SB-Belarus Segodnia’

On 1 June the human rights defender Aleh Vouchak filed a cassation complaint to the college board on civil cases of Savetski district court of Minsk to appeal against the verdict, issued on 15 May on his lawsuit against the newspaper Sovetskaya Belorussiya on protection of honor, dignity and business reputation and compensation of the moral harm.

02.06.2009 Letters from activity therapy centers: how alcoholism is ‘cured’ in Belarus

In May 2009 the Belarusian government was charged to make proposals on extension of the net of activity therapy centers in Belarus, though five such centers already exist and in 2008 the number of the people who were kept there was about 4 000. But what really happens in these institutions? You can find it from the letters of those who ‘receive treatment’ there.

02.06.2009 Andrei Mikalayeu is pressurized at work

The representative of Navapolatsk club of historical reconstruction Iron Wolf Andrei Mikalayeu has been summoned to the local education department. The authorities demanded that he immediately vacated the premises at the local center of extracurricular education where he worked with problem teenagers. The authorities also stated that his labor contract would hardly be prolonged, but did not explain the reasons.

01.06.2009 Kurapaty vandals are amnestied

As said to the BelaPAN by the investigator of Minsk district police department Siarhei Bulko, on 30 May two Minsk dwellers, who were charged with destruction of the memorial crosses to Stalinism victims in Kurapaty forest near Minsk were amnestied.

01.06.2009 Minsk: detentions instead of pro-life actions

As it follows from the answer of Minsk city executive committee, received by the co-chairman of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party Aliaksei Shein, on 2 June the territory of the Druzhby Narodau Park will be cleansed. The BHD secretary Dzianis Sadouski was informed that the action near the maternity hospitals will hinder the public order.