The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for March 2011

04.03.2011 International pressure on Belarusian authorities increases

Today, on 4 March, Vice-President of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Chair of the Human Rights Center Viasna Ales Bialiatski is present at the session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

04.03.2011 Taisiya Kabanchuk interrogated at KGB for 7 hours

Taisiya Kabanchuk, a coordinator of the organizing committee to create the Belarusian Christian Democracy party in the Mahiliou region, was questioned in the Babruisk city KGB department for 7 hours, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., on 2 March.

04.03.2011 Global Security Forum opens with discussion about Belarus

The Global Security Forum GLOBSEC 2011 opened in Bratislava with discussing the situation in Belarus.

04.03.2011 IFJ and PACE call on Belarusian authorities to stop silencing media

Mats Johansson, Standing Rapporteur of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) on Media Freedom, and Arne König, President of the European Federation of Journalists, today made the following statement on the situation of the media in Belarus:

04.03.2011 Dzmitry Bandarenka interrogated at KGB for first time in two months

Since 29 December, the lawyer has been denied meetings with his defendant, Andrei Sannikou’s affiliate Dzmitry Bandarenka.

03.03.2011 ‘Black lists’ for state media

According to the web resource tut.by, the Ministry of Information submitted to heads of the state media a list of the artists and artistic collectives whose appearance was undesirable in the pages of press editions, on TV and radio.

03.03.2011 Accused of ‘mass riot’ apply to General Procuracy

‘We, the accused of the so-called ‘mass riot of 19 December 2010’, who went through imprisonment in the KGB pre-trial prison, demand to stop this travesty of justice and permissiveness of ‘people with shoulder straps’, which is taking place in the country today, and in the KGB prison in particular,’ reads the appeal, signed by Andrej Dzmitryeu, Uladzimir Kobets, Aleh Korban, Anastasia Palazhanka, Natallia Radzina, Vital Rymasheuski and Siarhei Vazniak.

03.03.2011 Dashkevich and Lobau transferred to pre-trial prison in Valadarski Street

The Chair of the Young Front, Zmitser Dashkevich, and its activist Eduard Lobau were transferred to pre-trial prison #1 in Valadarski Street in Minsk.

03.03.2011 Kirvekich’s mother seeking to change restraint for him

Larysa Kirkevich, the mother of a Young Front leader from Hrodna, Ales Kirkevich, tries to convince the KGB that her son faced problems with his heart in their jail and this can be a ground to change the pretrial restraint.

02.03.2011 Journalist Tatsiana Bublikava warned by procuracy

The journalist was issued with an official warning for covering the events of 19 December in the Nezalezhnastsi Square in Minsk without an accreditation, though earlier the court had punished her with ‘participation in unauthorized action’.

02.03.2011 Ambulance called for Uladzimir Niakliayeu

The first interrogation of Uladzimir Niakliayeu for the time of his stay under home arrest was to have taken place today.

02.03.2011 Analytical review of first sitting on criminal case of Aliaksandr Atroshchankau, Dzmitry Novik and Aliaksandr Malchanau

On 1 March 2011 the trial of the participants of the peaceful action of 19 December 2010 Aliaksandr Atroshchankau, Dzmitry Novik and Aliaksandr Malchanau started at the Frunzenski District Court of Minsk.

02.03.2011 Aliaksandr Silkou summonsed to KGB

Aliaksandr Silkou, an electioneering agent of Aliaksei Mikhalevich and an activist of the organizing committee of the Party of Freedom and Progress was summonsed for an interrogation.

02.03.2011 Sentences given to Atroshchankau, Malchanau and Novik

The Frunzenski District Court of Minsk continues trying the case of the participants of the 19 December protest action in Minsk, Aliaksandr Atroshchankau, Aliaksandr Malchanau and Dzmitry Novik.

02.03.2011 Brief analytical review of court sitting on criminal case of Dzmitry Miadzvedz

On 1 March 2011 the court hearings on the criminal case of Dzmitry Leanidavich Miadzvedz, charged with violation of Article 293, part 2 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus, 'mass riot', started at the Maskouski District Court with the participation of Judge Alena Rudnitskaya, Deputy Prosecutor of the Maskouski district K.Mazouka (who represented the state accusation), Miadzvedz's attorney Siarhei Lepesh and a representative of the state plaintiff, the Main Council of the Presidential Administration.