The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for March 2011

16.03.2011 Palazhanka summoned to KGB for interrogation

The girl accused of Dec.19 case does not exclude that she may be arrested again in connection with the activities of members of the Young Front aimed at releasing its members.

16.03.2011 Ales Mіhalevіch sends audio message

The deputy head of the movement “For Freedom” Yuras Hubarevich is sure that Ales Mihalevich is safe and sound in a safe place.

16.03.2011 Series of preventive mass detentions conducted in Minsk on March 15

The young people the police thought to be connected with the anarchist movement were detained. The majority of them were interrogated because of “the anarchists’ case” last year.

16.03.2011 Weekly review of post-election situation in Belarus (7-13 March)

On 9 March the assistant to the Representative of the International Observation Mission of the Committee on International Control over the Situation with Human Rights in Belarus, citizen of the Ukraine Maxim Kitsyuk was denied entry to the territory of the Republic of Belarus while crossing the border by train Kyiv - Minsk.

Human Rights Chronicle: Belarusian Helsinki Committee and <em>Viasna</em> to cover situation of human rights in Belarus together

15.03.2011 Human Rights Chronicle: Belarusian Helsinki Committee and Viasna to cover situation of human rights in Belarus together

The human rights situation in Belarus has deteriorated considerably after the presidential election of 2010. Human rights defenders registered a sharp increase in politically motivated repression and many cases of violation and restriction of fundamental rights and freedoms within the three post-election months.

15.03.2011 Invention of Belarusian KGB: telephone interrogation

Krystsina Shatsikava, an activist of the civil campaign Nash Dom from Mahiliou, was summonsed for an interrogation at the Minsk KGB. KGB officers promised her a reimbursement for the travel expenses. However, the activist demanded to pay the money in advance, as when she had come to the Minsk City Police Department they had also promised a reimbursement, but instead gave her a written obligation to pay the money after getting fines from participants of the “mass riot”.

15.03.2011 Mikita Likhavid to be tried on 22 March

The first court sitting on the criminal case against Mikita Likhavid (one of the accused of participation in the 19 December “mass riot”, Article 293, part 2 of the Criminal Code) will take place at 10 a.m. on 22 March.

15.03.2011 Tatsiana Seviarynets not allowed to to meet with her son for the third time

The investigation refused to let Tatsiana Seviarynets, the mother of politician Pavel Seviarynets who has been in the KGB pre-trial prison since 19 December 2010, meet with her son. He wasn't allowed to meet with an Orthodox priest, either.

15.03.2011 Iryna Pankavets remains “chronically unemployed”

Iryna Pankavets. mother of the editor of the politics department of the socio-political weekly Nasha Niva Dzmitry Pankavets, cannot find a job for three months already. She was fired from the position of a cook at the Starabarysau secondary school after serving ten-day arrest for participation in the 19 December action of protest against the rigged election.

15.03.2011 Civil Society Forum cannot find premises for its conference

The National platform of the Civil Society Forum of the Eastern Partnership cannot find a place for holding its conference “Role and Place of Civil Society in Strategy of Future”.

15.03.2011 Salihorsk police are looking for Ivan Shyla

In the evening of 14 March a police inspector phoned to the home phone of Ivan's father and told that he needed to bring Ivan to court. However, he was unable to explain the reasons. The policeman also asked about the whereabouts of Ivan's brother, Illia.

15.03.2011 Belarus: Disbarment of human rights lawyer Mr Pavel Sapelka

On 3 March 2011, the Board of the Minsk City Bar disbarred human rights lawyer Mr Pavel Sapelka following prolonged pressure from the Belarusian Ministry of Justice. Pavel Sapelka is a well-known lawyer, member of Presidium of Minsk City Bar, who has worked at the legal consultation office No 2, Savetsky district, Minsk since 1994.

14.03.2011 Zhodzina: Young Front activist detained for calling Lukashenka to retire

Raman Vasiliyeu, a 21-year-old Young Front activist from Zhodzina, will be tried for writing “Sasha, retire!”. The police detained him on the way home. They put him on his knees facing the wall where the graffiti was made, twisted back his arms and put them in handcuffs. He had to wait for the patrol car and experts in such position.

14.03.2011 Human rights defender Viktar Sazonau detained on the border

The car with a Hrodna human rights defender, Viktar Sazonau, was detained in the morning at the border crossing point Berastavitsa-Babrouniki, on the way to Poland.

14.03.2011 Zmitser Dashkevich is threatened with a maximal sentence and black hole in the colony

An officer of the military counter-intelligence paid a visit to Zmitser Dashkevich, Chair of the Young Front, who is kept in the pre-trial prison in Valadarski Street in Minsk on charges of malignant hooliganism.