The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for 11 Apr 2011

11.04.2011 BHC Hrodna activist loses job

Sviatlana Rudkouskaya, activist of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, has lost two jobs following her involvement in the 2010 presidential election campaign. Mrs. Rudkouskaya has been reportedly dismissed from her job as head of two Hrodna house-hold cooperatives, after other persons were appointed to the posts in violation of the law.

11.04.2011 Authorities not willing to return seized property

The authorities seem to be unwilling to return the money seized by the KGB during a search at the apartment of youth activist Aleh Ladutska back in December 2010, after Minsk City Prosecutor’s Office refused to consider a complaint by the activist’s mother Mrs. Natallia Ladutska.

11.04.2011 Malaryta railway employee to stand trial for resisting forced fingerprinting

Ryhor Lukianchuk, railway employee from the town of Malaryta, Brest region, is to stand trial for violating Article 23.34 of the Administrative Code (“disobeying authority”), after he refused to undergo forced fingerprinting.

11.04.2011 Is Charter'97 in a list of web-sites, forbidden in Belarus?

The access to the site in the Academy of Sciences via BASNET network is blocked. It is likely that the site is unavailable in some other institutions as well.

11.04.2011 Weekly review of post-election situation in Belarus (4-10 April)

The recent social and political developments in the country have been accompanied by certain economic instability, with gradual increase in exchange rates and rush demand on the foreign currency and food markets. The 19 December 2010 “mass riot” criminal case is still underway: the Interior Ministry has announced the termination of the preliminary investigation activities. The case files of former presidential candidates Mikalai Statkevich and Dzmitry Us have been submitted to courts for consideration. Four more persons involved in the case – Zmitser Bandarenka, Pavel Seviarynets, Iryna Khalip and Siarhei Martsaleu – are now facing milder charges. Minsk City Court dismissed the appeals by Aliaksandr Atroshchankau, Dzmitry Novik and Aliaksandr Malchanau, who had been earlier convicted under Art. 293 of the Criminal Code. The General Prosecutor’s Office refused to initiate criminal proceedings following a torture report by former presidential candidate Ales Mikhalevich. Andrzej Poczobut, journalist and activist of the opposition Union of Poles, faces charges under two criminal articles – Par. 1 Art. 386 (“insult of President”) and Par. 1 Art. 367 (“libel of President”). Two KGB prisoners – UCP leader Anatol Liabedzka and “Tell the Truth” activist Aliaksandr Fiaduta – were released on recognizance.

11.04.2011 Viasna condemns criminal prosecution of Andrzej Poczobut

On 28 March 2011, it was reported that Hronda Regional Prosecutor’s Office initiated criminal proceedings against Andrzej Poczobut, reporter of the Polish Gazeta Wyborcza weekly and leader of the opposition Union of Poles. The journalist faces charges under Par. 1 Art. 368 of the Criminal Code (“insult of the President of the Republic of Belarus”) for eight publications in Gazeta Wyborcza, one article on www.belaruspartizan.org and a post in his personal blog www.poczobut.livejournal.com.