The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for November 2009

16.11.2009 Vitsebsk: Barys Khamaida detained once more

Detentions of Vitsebsk oppositionist and distributor of independent press are getting regular. According to RFE/RL, policemen detain Barys Khamaida and place to the Chyhynachny district police department of Vitsebsk.

12.11.2009 MFA advises Siarhei Housha to address local court organs for implementation of opinion of UN Human Rights Committee

Finally the human rights defender from Baranavichy Siarhei Housha got an answer to his inquiries to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus about who must implement the decisions of the UN Human Rights Committee.

12.11.2009 Ministry of Information denied registration to ‘Prefekt Plus’ newspaper

As the press service of the Belarusian Association of Journalists, this is the sixth registration denial to ‘unreliable’ media outlets for the last three months. On 10 November the founder of the regional newspaper Prefekt Plus (the town of Hlybokae, Vitsebsk oblast) was returned the document he had sent to the ministry for the official registration on 7 October.

12.11.2009 Amnesty International declares Belarusian citizen Ihar Koktysh prisoner of conscience

The human rights organization Amnesty International considers Ihar Koktysh, who is kept in a detention center in Simferopol waiting for the extradition to Belarus, to be a prisoner of conscience.

12.11.2009 Criminal case for spilling paint on monument to Lenin

On 7 November, the Day of October Revolution, which is still a state holiday in Belarus, Lenin monument in Navahradak was smeared with green paint.

11.11.2009 Nasta Palazhanka complained to prosecutor’s office against police actions

the deputy head of Young Front Nasta Palazhanka addressed the Pershamaiski district prosecutor’s office concerning her unlawful detention at the Pershamaiski district police department for six hours and the unlawful confiscation of the informational materials concerning the campaigns held by the organization.

11.11.2009 Vitsebsk: Barys Khamaida detained again

The police officers of the Chyhunachny district police department of Vitsebsk detained the oppositionist Barys Khamaida for distribution of non-state press.

11.11.2009 Andrei Zhuk’s mother addressed Belarusian president asking to pardon her son

Struggling for the life of her son, Andrei Zhuk’s mother is trying to use all possible means including the international mechanisms and personal address to the president. On 10 November Sviatlana Zhuk addressed Aliaksandr Lukashenka through mass media, asking to pardon her son, the death verdict to whom came into force after consideration of the cassation complaint by the Supreme Court.

11.11.2009 Road police try to hinder activities of ‘BelSat’ film crew

A film crew of Belsat TV channel came to Navahradak on 11 November to shot an item about the monument to Lenin poured with paint.

11.11.2009 Anatol Liabedzka detained on Lithianian border again

The leader of the United Civil Party was searched at Kamenny Loh border checkpoint.

10.11.2009 Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in October 2009

10 October is the World Day against the Death Penalty. The abolition of the death penalty or introduction of a moratorium on it is one of the priorities in the dialogue between the EU and Belarus. However, the Belarusian authorities show little progress in this issue. That's why in January 2009 the Belarusian human rights defenders launched the campaign Human Rights Defenders against the Death Penalty. They inform the population, collect signatures and distribute printed materials facing obstacles from the side of the state. In particular, the campaign activists from many regions of Belarus intended to hold pickets dated to the World Day against the Death Penalty. However, most of the actions weren't sanctioned by the local authorities. Besides, on 10 October in Navapolatsk, police detained human rights defender Zmitser Salauyou and the young activists Alina Kucharenia and Yury Palonski during an informational action.

09.11.2009 2 126 persons amnestied

According Zhana Baturytskaya, head of the regime work department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, as a result of the law on amnesty whose implementation came to an end on 7 November, 2 126 persons were released from closed penitentiary institutions of Belarus.

09.11.2009 Navahrudak: detentions on suspicion in flinging paint on Lenin monument

In the morning on 7 November the monument to Lenin in Navahrudak was flung with green paint. Not far from the monument the police detained Daryia Bakhur and Yury Kazak, activists of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Party in Navahrudak.

09.11.2009 Detention for barbed-wire wreath

On 7 November the police detained the car of Yury Karetnikau and ordered him to drive to the Kastrychnitski district police department without offering any explanations.

09.11.2009 Minsk: action in the memory of victims of Stalin’s repressions

On 8 November the Conservative-Christian party BPF held a sanctioned meeting in the memory of the victims of Stalin’s repressions shot in Loshytski ravine. About thirty people gathered near the Culture House of the worsted plant and proceeded to Loshytski ravine, where they laid down flowers to the memorial cross and lit candles.