The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for February 2011

11.02.2011 Mahiliou: Pavel Varashylau interrogated at work

Officers of Mahiliou Region KGB Department paid a visit to the working place of a civil activist Pavel Varashylau to interrogate him as a witness in the case of the 19 December ‘mass riot’ in Minsk. KGB officer Aliaksandr Prakapchuk explained that they had to come to Pavel’s work as they had summonsed him by a mailed writ, but he hadn’t come.

11.02.2011 KGB warns Ivatsevichy activists

The participants of the 19 December post-election street action Vladislav Mikolaychik and Stanislau Khaladovich were summonsed to the Biaroza inter-district KGB Department.

11.02.2011 Human Rights Watch survey on post-election protest action in Belarus

The international human rights organization Human Rights Watch prepared a survey concerning the persecution of participants of the 19 December action of protest in central Minsk. The full text of the survey is accessible on the following link: http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2011/02/09/belarus-survey-shows-massive-abuses-protesters

11.02.2011 Andrei Pachobut sentenced to 15 days in jail

On 11 February the Hrodna journalist Andrei Pachobut was sentenced to 15 days in jail for participation in the protest action on 19 December 2010 in central Minsk.

11.02.2011 Journalists not admitted to consideration of Avtoradio lawsuit

On 11 February the Supreme Economic Court of Belarus started considering the lawsuit of the radio station Avtoradio against the annulment of its license. The journalists weren’t admitted to the court sitting because some ‘confidential information’ was to be considered at it.

11.02.2011 Mahiliou: administration of construction trust #12 is going to evict more than 100 people from its hostels

More than 100 residents of hostels, which are owned by Mahiliou Construction Trust #12 Ltd., received the appropriate orders. According to these documents, the people don’t have the legal grounds for living in the hostels and they need to conclude rent agreements within 10-day term. Otherwise the trust intends to apply to court for eviction of such persons.

10.02.2011 Young activists of United Civil Party detained in Minsk

The young activists of the United Civil Party were detained near the metro station Niamiha where they were handing out the Ploshcha newspaper which contains calls to release political prisoners. The detainees were guarded to the Tsentralny District Police Department.

International Observation Mission: 'Violations of rights of citizens of the Republic of Belarus in December 2010 and January 2011 acquired a massive and gross scale'

10.02.2011 International Observation Mission: 'Violations of rights of citizens of the Republic of Belarus in December 2010 and January 2011 acquired a massive and gross scale'

On 9 February the International Observation Mission of the Committee of the International Control for the human rights situation in Belarus and the Center of Legal Transformation held a press-conference in Minsk to present the results of the research of testimonies of the people who had been detained during the protest action of 19 December 2010 in Minsk.

10.02.2011 KGB searched apartment of Dzianis Lazar

KGB officers searched the apartment of a Young Front activist Dzianis Lazar. The search was conducted within the framework of the 'mass riot' case.

10.02.2011 Interrogations go on...

At about 3.45 p.m. on 9 February an activist of the Young Front was summonsed to the dean's office of the physical faculty of Belarusian State University. In some time KGB officers came there and took him to the KGB department, for the sixth interrogation as a witness in the 'mass riot' criminal case. Bear in mind that on 6 January he was taken for an interrogation from the university as well, and was imprisoned for 12 days after it.

10.02.2011 Barys Haretski gets warned

On 10 February Barys Haretski, a journalist with Radio Racyja, came to the General Procuracy to which he was summonsed for answering some questions concerning his professional activities.

10.02.2011 Zmitser Salauyou complains to procuracy concerning actions of KGB during search

Zmitser Salauyou, the Chairperson of the Mahiliou Region organization of the Belarusian Popular Front, lodged a complaint with the regional procuracy concerning the actions of KGB officers during the search at his apartment on 15 January.

10.02.2011 KGB officers pay interests to duty documents of lawyer Aleh Aheyeu

At about 11 a.m. on 10 February KGB officers paid a visit to the legal consultation of Aleh Aheyeu, the attorney of the presidential candidate Aliaksei Mikhalevich. they presented an order signed by the Minsk and Minsk Region KGB Department and started looking though the documents that concerned the professional activities of the lawyer. They refused to tell the lawyer within the limits of which process activities the check-up of his documents was conducted and soon went away.

09.02.2011 Mikola Bianko summonsed to Maskouski District Police Department of Minsk

Mikola Bianko, a journalist with Radio Racyja, received a telephone call from a man who introduced himself as police major Aliaksandr Vasiliievich. He asked where the activist lived in Homel and said that the police wanted to take his fingerprints.

09.02.2011 Barys Haretski summonsed to procuracy

Barys Haretski, a correspondent with Radio Racyja, received a telephone call from the General Procuracy and told to come for a ‘talk’ at 10 a.m. on 10 February.