The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for 1 Oct 2009

01.10.2009 Brief description of the events that took place in Minsk on 9 and 16 September 2009

On 9 September several tens of people came to Kastrychnitskaya Square of Minsk to protest against the arrival of a military contingent of the Russian Federation in Belarus for participation in the joint Belarusian-Russian military trainings. The protesters were holding the banner ‘Russian Army Go Home!’ The action was peaceful. Its participants did not hinder the traffic and the movement of pedestrians. They were standing in the center of the square and did not interfere with the work of shops and normal vital activity of other citizens. Several minutes after the beginning of the picket people in mufti tired to tear the banner out of the hands of participants of the action, but did not succeed. Then, several minutes later, the riot police arrived and started detaining the present people with the use of physical violence. All in all, about 20 persons were detained that day. Some of them were detained by people in mufti preventively, before the action: the leader of the Young Front Zmitser Dashkevich, the member of the BPF Youth Siarzhuk Karpovich, etc. Such detentions took place when the activists were approaching Kastrychnitskaya Square. The majority of the detainees were guarded to Tsentralny district police department of Minsk. The reports about violation of Article 23.34 (violation of the order of organizing and holding mass events) of the Administrative Code were drawn up on them. A report about violation of Article 17.1 (petty hooliganism) was also drawn up on Zmitser Dashkevich. 17 detainees were locked up in the center for isolation of delinquents for the night. In the morning they were taken to the Tsentralny district court of Minsk.

01.10.2009 Pastor of ‘New Life’ Church fined for hindrance to officers of Ministry of Emergency Situations

Maskouski district court of Minsk fined the pastor of the New Life Church Viachaslau Hancharenka 420 000 rubles (about $147) for hindering the officers of the Ministry of Emergency Situations who examined the temple.

01.10.2009 CCP BPF activist no longer suspected in terrorism

On 10 July the activist of the Conservative Christian Party Belarusian Popular Front Kanstantsin Ulanau was detained by police and spent ten days in custody in the pre-trial prison in Akrestsin Street on charges in participation in the terrorist group that was preparing a terrorist act.

01.10.2009 Vitsebsk: police order beating of youth activist

On 30 September in the evening in the center of Vitsebsk the member of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party Ales Halavan was attacked by five persons. The member of the Conservative-Christian Party Belarusian Popular Front (CCP BPF) Siarhei Kavalenia managed to seize one of them. The seized man said that the beating of Halavan was ordered by Vitsebsk police as a revenge for the complaint that was filed by Halavan with the head of Chyhunachny district police department of Vitsebsk against the unlawful actions of police officers.

01.10.2009 Minsk: journalists are detained while performing their professional duties

The leader of the Communist Party of Belarus Siarhei Kaliakin was detained while handing out Tovarishch newspaper near the entrance of Minsk Tractor Plant.