09.02.2010 Constitutional Court reluctant to consider revocation of Article 193-1

In December 2009 Kiryl Atamanchyk, activist of the Young Front youth movement, lodged an address with the Constitutional Court, urging the officials to provide legal assessment of the compliance of Article 193-1 of the Criminal Code with Article 36 of the Belarusian Constitution and Article 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

09.02.2010 39% of Belarusians support death penalty abolishment

39% of Belarusians support the idea of abolishment of the capital punishment and 48% are against it. This is the result of a recent survey conducted by the director of a sociometric laboratory “NOVAK” Andrei Vardamatski.

09.02.2010 How Belarusian riot militia impedes and threaten journalists

Riot militiamen were threatening bodily harm to journalists during dispersing an opposition demonstration on February 8.

This can be seen and heard on the footage by Radio Svaboda journalist Aleh Hruzdzilovich. Riot militiamen didn’t react to a journalist’s request to stop hindering him to perform professional duties, but continued pushing him and close camera with their hands.

09.02.2010 Opposition rally in Minsk disbanded

20 persons have been detained on February on October Square 8 in Minsk. Riot policemen again prevented journalists from doing their work, acting in thuggish methods.

Opposition activists were set to hold a rally of solidarity with political prisoners Mikalai Autukhovich and Uladzimir Asipenka, who are kept in the remand prison for a year already.

09.02.2010 Militia seized Polish House in Ivyanets

The militia forced activists of the Union of Poles, mainly elderly people, out of the building.

On February 8, militiamen and officers of court burst into the Polish House, owned by the unrecognized by the Belarusian authorities Union of Poles. The website charter97.org learnt this from journalist Andrzej Poczobut, a Union activist.

08.02.2010 Electoral marathon: events, tendencies and figures of the week

The week started with two press-conferences covering the progress of the election campaign. On 1 February Chairperson of the Central Electoral Committee Lidzia Yarmoshyna told the journalists about the successful finish of the first stage of the electoral campaign (formation of territorial election committees), highlighting the main tendencies of the stage.

08.02.2010 Brest Young Front activist charged with hooliganism

Brest Young Front member Ivan Stasiuk is faces prosecution under Article 339.1 (hooliganism) of the Belarusian Criminal Code. The activist had been initially summoned by the police to testify in a criminal case over a street fight in downtown Brest on 23 January. However, he was later officially declared suspect in the case and imprisoned.

05.02.2010 “Narodnaya Volya“ fined for advertising BelSat TV

The independent Belarusian newspaper will have to pay a fine of 700,000 rubles.

On February 4, the Leninski district court of Minsk found the paper guilty of violating the Law on Advertising and fined it.

05.02.2010 Picket against “inaction of authorities” suppressed in Talachyn

Dwellers of the town of Talachyn (the Vitsebsk region) tried to block a street, but were dispersed by the militia.

05.02.2010 PACE welcomes creation of task group on death penalty at Belarus’ Parliament

Mevlut Cavusoglu, the chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) welcomes the creation of the task group to study death penalty at the National Assembly of Belarus. He made this statement in his speech to the members of the assembly, BelTA learnt from the PACE press service.

05.02.2010 Young Front activist in prison

On 30 January, a Young Front member Ivan Stasiuk was detained while interrogated as a witness in a criminal case, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports, quoting the Young Front press-secretary Tatsiana Shaputska.

05.02.2010 Belarusian civil society activists should be invited to Euronest, believes Pro-dem NGO Assembly

The Euronest Parliamentary Assembly should invite representatives of both Belarusian political parties and the civil society, says the Assembly of Belarusian Pro-Democratic NGOs. The composition of the Belarusian delegation is currently under consideration. However, due to the absence of a legitimate Parliament in the country, any Belarusian delegation will be unofficial.

04.02.2010 BelSat journalist sentenced to 10 days of prison

Ivan Shulha, journalist of the Poland-based BelSat independent TV channel, has been sentenced to 10 days of imprisonment for violating Article 17.1 of the Civil Code (disorderly conduct).

04.02.2010 Minsk and Homel courts support non-inclusion of opposition candidates

On 2, 3 and 4 February Minsk city court and Homel regional court ruled against a number of BPF ‘Adradzhennie’, BPF and UCPB members, appealing the decisions by Minsk and Homel authorities not to include the candidates in respective electoral committees.

04.02.2010 Barysau: UCPB’s run in election depends on formation of divisional election committees

The final decision concerning the UCPB’s running in the forthcoming local council elections will be made after divisional election committees are formed, says Mikhas Vasilieu, head of the UCPB Barysau office.