The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for June 2010

14.06.2010 Political prisoner Uladzimir Asipenka transferred to Ivatsevichy penal colony

According to the available information, the prisoner was transferred to the penal colony on 5 June, but his family learnt this only a week after. As BelaPAN reports, Uladzimir Asipenka, convicted in the case of Vaukavysk entrepreneurs, has been transferred from a detention facility in Minsk to a penal colony in Ivatsevichy (the Brest region) for serving his term.

11.06.2010 ’Novy Chas’ newspaper received a warning

The regional socio-political edition Novy Chas received a warning from the Ministry of Information. The newspaper is accused of having omitted in its imprint the patronymic of the chief editor, the bar code and the name of the organ of the state government in the sphere of the mass media.

11.06.2010 Mikola Dzemidzenka is charged with posting leaflets in Vitsebsk

On 10 June, a leader of the Young Front, Mikola Dzemidzenka, was detained by policemen with assault rifles in Vitsebsk, where he come to meet with activists of the Young Front and the Party of Belarusian Christian Democracy. The activist was detained on a trolleybus, before the eyes of passengers.

11.06.2010 Car with circulation of ‘Tovarishch’ newspaper detained on the border

Dzmitry Yaneka, a member of the central committee of the Belarusian Leftist Party Fair World, told BelaPAN that all copies of the fifth issue of Tovarishch were detained.

11.06.2010 Vitsebsk: Siarhei Kavalenka's brother fined as well

Viktar Kalbun, Judge of the Pershamaiski District Court of Vitsebsk, found Vital Kavalenka guilty of 'disorderly conduct'. Vital was fined the same sum of money as his brother, 105,000 Belarusian rubles (about $33).

10.06.2010 Ales Bialiatski takes part in OSCE conference in Copenhagen

The OSCE conference on the occsaion of the 20th anniversary of signing of the Copenhagen Document takes place in Copenhagen on 10-11 June. Ales Bialiatski, Chairperson of the Human Rights Center Viasna and Vice-President of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), was invited there to represent Belarusian NGOs. An official delegation from Belarus takes part in the conference as well.

10.06.2010 Two more categories of citizens to be subject to foreign travel restrictions

On 10 June, a press conference of Dzmitry Leuchanka, Chairperson of the passport work and foreign travel department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, took place in Minsk.

10.06.2010 First court hearing on liquidation of ‘Tell Truth’

Andrei Aliakhnovich, Judge of the Minsk Economic Court, held the preliminary sitting on the case concerning the dissolution of the educational institution Movement Forward which is known as the organizer of the civil campaign Speak Truth. The lawsuit for its liquidation was lodged by the Minsk City Executive Committee.

10.06.2010 Counsel Hrabouski: verdict to Yakavenka was copied from prosecutor's ruling

On 9 June, lawyer Yauhen Hrabouski familiarized with a copy of the verdict to his client, conscientious objector Yauhen Yakavenka, who has been recently punished by the Tsentralny District Court of Homel with 1 year of personal restraint with direction to an open penitentiary institution.

10.06.2010 Protestant Church 'New Life' is charged with pollution of more than 3,000 m2 of fertile soil

This information was provided to BelaPAN by the church lawyer, Siarhei Lukanin. According to him, this accusation is stated in the act of examination of the territory of the church that was passed to the believers on 9 June. The document is signed by 10 officials and includes the road that leads to the temple, the car parking and the lawn behind the church.

10.06.2010 Ales Ramanovich to be tried

On 9 June, Ales Ramanovich, Pinsk activist of the Belarusian Popular Front Party and the movement For Freedom, was interrogated for about 1.5 hours by a police inspector Andrei Rusin. The KGB officer, who watched the activist during the last several days, was present at the interrogation as well.

10.06.2010 Vitsebsk: Mikola Dzemidzenka detained again

Mikola Dzemidzenka, a Young Front leader, came to Vitsebsk to meet with the local youth.

10.06.2010 Homel: detention of 'Young Front' activists

The campaign of the Young Front City is Ours! in Homel is accompanied by arrests. Police seized ribbons in colors of the national flag and leaflets from two members of the Young Front, but the activists still managed to spread national symbols in Homel and placed a white-red-white flag on one of the bridges of the city.

10.06.2010 Belarus is denied EU trade preferences again

Implementation of recommendations of the International Labor Organization (ILO) on securing freedom of trade unions in Belarus was discussed at the Labor Conference in Geneva on 9 June.

09.06.2010 Constitutional Court answered to Leanid Sudalenka

The Homel human rights defender received an answer from the Constitutional Court to the application that had been submitted by him and Anatol Paplauny. In this document, the applicants asked the court to adopt a ruling aimed at the direct implementation by courts of the universally accepted principles and norms of international legislations and the international treaties ratified by the Republic of Belarus.