The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for June 2010

16.06.2010 BPF Youth activist fined

Vitsebsk Pershamaiski administrative commission fined Aliaksandr Kuzniatsou BYR 35,000 for ‘littering the city’ with his election leaflets, Radio Racyja reports.

16.06.2010 Green activists sue constructors of NPP

The public association ‘Ecodom’ is suing the construction managers of the Belarusian nuclear power plant, arguing that they violated the Aarhus Convention by failing to provide evaluation of the NPP’s possible impact on the environment, Radio Racyja reports.

16.06.2010 Activist’s car searched

On 15 June, the police searched the car of Aleh Shabetnik, Rechytsa activist of the ‘Havary Praudu’ civil campaign, after they allegedly received an anonymous phone call, claiming that the activist was transporting poachers.

16.06.2010 Ex-candidate Hryk fired

Ryhor Hryk, Baranavichy ‘For Freedom’ activist, received a notice of termination of his employment contract at the local train shed. This is his third dismissal over the past two years.

16.06.2010 Journalists detained in Minsk

Journalists Nasta Krauchuk and Volha Zharnasek were detained by the police outside the Belarusian State University main building, as they were covering an event arranged by the ‘Havary Praudu’ civil campaign, the press-service of the Belarusian Association of Journalists reports.

15.06.2010 Say ‘No’ to Death Penalty! – on YouTube

The trailer Say ‘No’ to Death Penalty is presented at YouTube within the guidelines of the campaign Human Rights Defenders against Death Penalty in Belarus.

15.06.2010 Anatol Paplauny reports UN Human Rights Committee about unlawful punishment

Anatol Paplauny, a Homel human rights defender who had received administrative punishment for participation in the Chain of Concerned People, an action dedicated to commemoration of the missing public and political activists and support to their families and political prisoners, passed an individual communication to the UN Human Rights Committee in connection with violation by Belarus of his rights to fair trial and freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

15.06.2010 Mikalai Charnavus addresses Belarusian authorities concerning violation of entrepreneurs’ rights

On 15 June, the Baranavichy entrepreneur Mikalai Charnavus addressed President of Belarus and Chairpersons of the Council of the Republic and the National Assembly with a complaint against the unlawful actions of the Homel customs office that had unlawfully confiscated goods from entrepreneur Nina Ivanashka in 2009.

15.06.2010 Court dismisses prosecutor's protest against acquittal of Ivan Mikhailau

On 15 June the Minsk Region Court considered the cassation appeal of the state accuser, L.Daubniuk, against the acquittal of Ivan Mikhailau by the Minsk District Court, and left the verdict of the lower court standing, thus taking the side of the defendant.

15.06.2010 Detention of activists of United Civil Party and 'Speak Truth' campaign

A camera crew of the Polish TV channel BelSat was detained on 15 June while making video shots in the yard of Belarusian State University. A camera was damaged during the detention.

15.06.2010 Authorities deprive correspondent students of determent from army draft

The House of Representatives has adopted in the second reading the amendments to the law on military service that cancel the educational exemptions for correspondent students, BelaPAN reports.

14.06.2010 Navapolatsk: provocation against human rights defender Zmitser Salauyou

Human rights defender Zmitser Salauyou received an answer to his complaint to the Navapolatsk Town Procuracy, signed by prosecutor A.Ausiuk. Mr. Salauyou states that the facts that are set forth in this letter are a provocation.

14.06.2010 Death penalty: official statistics

Human rights defenders have finally received an answer of the Ministry of Justice to their inquiry about the number of issued and executed death sentences in 1990-2009.

14.06.2010 Slonim: BPF activists charged with crossing the street in the wrong place

On 13 June, two activists of the Belarusian Popular Front Party, Aliaksandr Harasiuk and Pavel Sevastsyan, were detained by a road policeman while going to the city park by pavement. He demanded that they got into his car for drawing a report about a violation of the traffic rules.

14.06.2010 Human rights defenders cannot find detained Barysau activists

The civil activists Ales Abramovich and Alesia Yasiuk were detained in the Barysau suburb Liadzishcha during a rally gainst the construction of a nuclear power-plant in Belarus.