The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for June 2010

09.06.2010 Politically motivated criminal case against Siarhei Panamarou

The criminal case was brought against the democratic activist under Article 369 of the Criminal Code, 'insult of state official'. There were several attempts to bring a criminal case against Mr. Panamarou before. This time, the investigation conducted an expertise of the publications of his newspaper, Boiki Kletsk, for 2006-2007. As a result, traits of insult of state officials were found in more than 20 articles, and inn 7 articles the insult was definitely determined. The criminal case was instigated on the basis of these seven articles.

09.06.2010 Pinsk: KGB continues harassment of Ales Ramanovich

As said by Ales Ramanovich, a Pinsk activist of the Belarusian Popular Front Party, officers of the police and KGB have been trying to guard him to the Pinsk Town Police Department y any means during the last three days, referring to an administrative case instigated against him. However, they refused to present him an official writ, that's why he refused to come to the police department.

09.06.2010 Opposition newspaper 'Tovarishch' warned as well

The Information Ministry of Belarus has issued an official warning to founders of Tovarishch, the printed organ of the Belarusian Leftist Party Fair World.

09.06.2010 Provost of Homel university demands 45 mln rubles from 'Narodnaya Volia'

The trial proceedings in the case at the suit of Syiarhei Khanenia, provost of Homel State University, are scheduled for June 9 at 2.30 p.m.

08.06.2010 Astravets: civil activist Ivan Kruk demands to punish local officials

Ivan Kruk, an activist of the For Freedom movement, lodged complaints with the Chairperson of the Hrodna Region Executive Committee and the Hrodna Region Procuracy a complaint concerning violations that were committed by the local officials who had headed the Astravets Town Election Commission during the latest election.

08.06.2010 Siarhei Kavalenka fined for ‘disorderly conduct’

Judge of the the Pershamaiski District Court of Vitsebsk, Viktar Kolbun found activist Siarhei Kavalenka guilty of disorderly conduct.

08.06.2010 Political prisoner Mikalai Autukhovich denied medical aid

Mikalai Autukhovich is denied the necessary medical treatment at the detention facility in Minsk where he is currently kept. Lawyer Pavel Sapelka worries about the fact that Mikalai Autukhovich hasn’t handled his problems with health a month after the verdict was announced.

08.06.2010 Vaukavysk: disabled UCP activist can go on hunger-strike of protest

A UCP activist from Vaukavysk, Vital Huliak, was unable to receive his disability pension, because his bank card had been seized by the police.

08.06.2010 Why were they sentenced to death?

The cassation complaints of two death convicts, Hrodna dwellers Andrei Burdyka and Aleh Hryshkautsou, are pending at the Supreme Court. We don’t want to make any prognoses about the outcome of the trial. However, we have the opportunity to look at this case with consideration of different opinions and circumstances.

07.06.2010 Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in May 2010

In May, the legal proceedings on four politically motivated criminal cases came to an end, two new death verdicts were issued and several peaceful actions were dispersed, including actions of activists of sexual minorities. As a result of a clash with police, youth activist Zmitser Parmon got to hospital with a broken clavicle. Although several civil activists were sentenced to arrests, the administrative persecution in May was mainly confined to fines.

04.06.2010 Belarusian human rights defenders informed Amnesty International about sentence to Yauhen Yakavenka

On 4 June, Tatsiana Shvets, Judge of the Tsentralny District Court of Homel, sentenced Yauhen Yakavenka, an activist of the organizing committee of the Party of Belarusian Christian Democracy, to a year of personal restraint for 'evasion from military service'. Mr. Yakavenka was released till the enforcement of the sentence under a written undertaking not to leave. The activist and his counsel, Yauhen Hrabouski, disagree with the verdict and stated they would appeal against it.

04.06.2010 Minsk Region Court supports 'Boiki Kletsk' editor

The administrative case against the Kletsk activist, editor of the Boiki Kletsk newspaper Siarhei Panamarou, has been directed for review.

03.06.2010 Belarusian authorities failed to timely inform Andrei Zhuk’s mother about execution of her son

The certificate about the death of the son was issued to Sviatlana Zhuk only on 1 June. According to the document, the date of his death is 18 March. There is a dash in the graph 'the cause of death'. The act of the death registration is dated 21 March.

03.06.2010 Beaten youth activist demands a criminal case be instigated against policemen

On 27 May, the police violently dispersed a bicycle rally organized by activists of the BPF Youth. Several participants of the action were detained and beaten. One of them, Zmitser Parmon, was taken to clinical hospital #6 with fracture of a clavicle.

03.06.2010 Homel: civil activists detained for collecting signatures for abolishment of Decree #60

Three activists of the Young Front movement, Kiryl Kavaliou, Zmitser Skachkou and Ivan Zaitsau, were detained on 2 June in Homel, while collecting signatures for the abolishment of Decree #60 On measures to improve the use of the national segment of the internet.