The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for February 2011

04.02.2011 Accusation of Russians detained in Minsk on December 19 is changed

The accusation of the two Russians detained in Minsk on December 19 has been changed. They are accused of participation in the mass disorders instead of their organization now. Vadim Gusev, the counsellor of the Russian Embassy to Belarus, has informed BelaPAN about it.

03.02.2011 Picket on Belarus held in Zurich, Switzerland

On 31 January 2011 in Zurich, Amnesty International and Libereco – Partnership for Human Rights staged a joint demonstration for the release of political prisoners in Belarus.

03.02.2011 More accused and suspects in criminal case concerning 19 December ‘mass riot’

Fiodar Mirzayanau, a third year student of Belarusian State Economic University, has become the 38th accused in the mass riot criminal case. He was presented charges on 1 February.

03.02.2011 Searches and interrogations non-stop

KGB officers of Salihorsk have interrogated Uladzimir Lemesh, an electioneering agent of Andrei Sannikau. The interrogation lasted for about 4 hours. Lemesh could not speak about the details as he signed the non-dislosure obligation.

03.02.2011 Authorities try to identify all participants of 19 December protest action

Andrei Mikalayeu, who is involved in a criminal case initiated by the KGB after the events on 19 December, has been called to the military counter-intelligence office.

The Council under the President of the Russian Federation for the Promotion of Civil Society and Human Rights made a statement about the situation in Belarus

03.02.2011 The Council under the President of the Russian Federation for the Promotion of Civil Society and Human Rights made a statement about the situation in Belarus

February 1, 2011 President's Council of the Russian Federation for the Promotion of Civil Society and Human Rights made a statement about the situation in Belarus. In this statement, the members of the Presidential Council condemned human rights violations that were committed during and after December 19.

Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe addresses Justice Minister Viktar Halavanau concerning violations of the right to defense

02.02.2011 Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe addresses Justice Minister Viktar Halavanau concerning violations of the right to defense

I am writing to you on behalf of the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) which represents around one million European lawyers through its member bars and law societies from 31 full member countries, and 11 further associate and observer countries.

Assembly of NGOs prepared remarks to draft law <em>On Non-profitable Organizations</em>

02.02.2011 Assembly of NGOs prepared remarks to draft law On Non-profitable Organizations

The Center of Legal Transformation at the Assembly of NGOs started collecting signatures under a collective address to the draft law On non-profitable organizations.

02.02.2011 More searches and interrogations in Belarus

On 2 February two KGB officers searched the apartment of opposition activist Tamara Zaitsava. In the search warrant it was stated that she was a witness in the criminal case concerning the ‘mass riot’ of 19 December. The activist wasn’t present in Nezalezhnastsi Square that day, because she observed the presidential election at an election precinct in Kalinkavichy, but this didn’t stop the KGB officers.

02.02.2011 Dzmitry Drozd becomes a suspect in 'mass riot' case

At about 7 a.m. on 1 February law-enforcement officers entered the apartment of Dzmitry Drozd, a member of the electoral team of Andrei Sannikau, and took him for an interrogation at the Tsentralny District Police Department of Minsk.

02.02.2011 Young Front activist Nasta Palazhanka is left in custody

On 2 February the Tsentralny District Court of Minsk considered the complaint of Nasta's attorney against the restraint to her. According to Palazhanka's father, the court turned the complaint down and ruled that she should be kept in the investigative isolator of KGB.

02.02.2011 Hrodna: students are expelled for participation in post-election protest action

The administration of Hrodna State University started expelling students who had taken part in the protest action of 19 December in Minsk. The first victim became Barys Zakharchuk, a student of the physical-technical faculty.

01.02.2011 Pavel Seviarynets’ mother collects facts of lawlessness to apply to international structures

Tatsiana Seviarynets, the mother of a KGB prisoner Pavel Seviarynets, has to file complains against actions of workers of the investigative isolator of the KGB and against actions of officers of the procuracy in order to get answers to her concrete questions.

01.02.2011 Searches and interrogations continue

At 12 a.m. on 31 January KGB officers paid a visit to an activist of the Student Council (Studrada) Ales Krot. Only his sister was at home at the time. They confiscated a computer, 14 CDs, 2 flash cards and 4 diskettes. Short before this the KGB also searched the apartments of two other activists of Student Council, Mikhas Matskevich and Mikhas Matusevich.

01.02.2011 Dashkevich is 'proposed' to testify against other Young Front activists

In one of his last letters to Nasta Loika Zmitser Dashkevich wrote about receiving such a proposal during his second interrogation concerning the events of 19 December for the time of his stay at the investigative isolator of the Zhodzina prison. The activist also complains that the guards refused to allow passing him a Bible in the Belarusian language and that he faced obstacles to sending letters.