The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for January 2011

10.01.2011 Minsk: search at the apartment of Halina Yuryna

At 3 p.m. the apartment of an activist of the electoral team of Andrei Sannikau, Halina Yuryna, was searched. She opened the door to the investigators after the threats to smash the door.

10.01.2011 New suspects in mass riot case

19-year-old student of Minsk Polytechnic College Illia Vasilevich served 10-day arrest for participation in the protest action of 19 December. He was informed that the college administration decided to expel him. On 5 January he was invited for a talk with the administration. However, there he was detained by KGB officers who told that he was a suspect in the criminal case. At first the guy was taken to the pre-trial prison in Akrestsin Street and then – to another one, in Valadarski Street, where he is kept at the moment.

10.01.2011 Belarusian Front Party is deprived of office

BPF received a letter from the housing economy of the Savetski district of Minsk during the New Year holidays. The letter prescribes the party to vacate the occupied premises due to the expiry of the rent agreement. The housing economy also informs it will not conclude a new agreement, allegedly due to the untimely payment of the rent during the last three months.

10.01.2011 Searches at apartments of civil activists in Brest

At 8.50 a.m. on 10 January two unidentified people who called themselves KGB officers tried to get into the apartment of the Brest activist Andrei Sharenda. However, he refused to let them in without the local police inspector.

10.01.2011 Journalist Andrei Pachobut beaten by Hrodna KGB

Andrei Pachobut, a journalist for Gazeta Wyborcza and a popular Belarusian blogger, was detained by special task forces in Hrodna on 8 January, guarded to a KGB department, and beaten by KGB officers at the questioning.

10.01.2011 KGB prisoners aren't allowed to meet with their lawyers for 12 days already

Lawyers of a presidential candidate Andrei Sannikau, a European Belarus coordinator Dzmitry Bandarenka, journalists Iryna Khalip and Natallia Radzina, met with their clients for the last time on 29 December 2010 when their clients were filed charges.

08.01.2011 Yul’yan Misiukevich taken to delinquents’ isolation center in Akrestsin Street

On 6 January, after passing an exam, a Young Front member Yul’yan Misiukevich was guarded to KGB for an interrogation. After this, he wasn’t accessible on the phone.

08.01.2011 Three more suspects in 'mass riot' case

The Human Rights Center Viasna learned about three new suspects in the mass riot case concerning the events of 19 December.

08.01.2011 Aliaksei Mikhalevich transferred from KGB jail

Aleh Aheyeu, the defense lawyer of Aliaksei Mikhalevich, has learnt that his client was transferred from the KGB jail to the pretrial detention facility of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Valadarski Street, Minsk.

08.01.2011 KGB 'offers cooperation' to wife of Charter97 coordinator

KGB officers visited the apartment of Dzmitry Bandarenka, a prisoner of the KGB (the State Security Committee) pre-trial detention center. They wanted to have 'a private conversation' with his wife Volha. She managed to tell about that to her daughter on the phone, and after that the talk was interrupted.

KGB actively interrogates <em>Young Front</em> members

06.01.2011 KGB actively interrogates Young Front members

On 6 December a Young Front activist Yul'yan Misiukevich managed to inform his friends that he was taken for an interrogation by KGB officers right after passing an exam.

06.01.2011 Election aftermath: Aliaksandr Lukashenka's electoral team wasn't represented in the Homel region

In the beginning of December 2010 a Homel human rights defender Anatol Paplauny caught in action several activists of the Belarusian Republican Youth Union (BRSM) who were handing out agitation materials of Aliaksandr Lukashenka without imprint.

06.01.2011 Ninth suspect in 'mass riot' case

Dzimitry Apishau served 11-day arrest in the delinquents' isolation center in Akrestsin Street for participation in the 19 December protest rally. During the arrest he was taken to a building in Niamiha Street for interrogation. On 31 December Dzmitry Apishau was presented a ruling according to which he was declared a suspect in the criminal case instigated upon Article 293, part 2 of the Criminal Code (mass riot).

06.01.2011 Charges presented to Dzmitry Dashkevich and Eduard Lobau

On 6 January the official charges upon Article 339, part 3 of the Criminal Code (hooliganism) were presented to the Chairperson of the Young Front Dzmitry Dashkevich and the head of the Minsk branch of the organization Eduard Lobau.

06.01.2011 Slonim: civil activist seized outdoors

Barys Kuchynski went out of his house and went to the local post office. A car drove towards him. Two men came out, said they were KGB officers and told him to get in the car. Mr. Kuchynski managed to phone and tell about it. He said he didn't know why he was being taken to KGB this way. He even asked the driver to stop the car and wanted to get off, but wasn't allowed to do it. Shortly before the detention Barys had served a 15-day arrest term for participation in the 19 December protest rally.