The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for April 2011

21.04.2011 KGB search residence of Maladechna HR defender Kaputski

The private house of Maladechna human rights defender Aliaksei Kaputski has been reportedly searched by the KGB this morning.

21.04.2011 Minsk police detain BelPAN cameraman Padabed

Pavel Padabed, cameraman of the BelaPAN news agency, has been reportedly detained by Minsk police while shooting a story for the agency in the central Independence Square, European Radio for Belarus reports.

21.04.2011 Young Front activist Shulzhytski detained

On 20 April, Smarhon police detained Uladzimir Shulzhytski, activist of the Young Front opposition youth movement, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports.

21.04.2011 Hrodna civil activist Staneuski sentenced to 8 days of arrest

Pavel Staneuski, detained together with Pavel Levinau, Volha Karach and Aleh Barshcheuski, has been sentenced to 8 days of administrative arrest by Minsk Frunzenski District Court.

21.04.2011 Ministry of Information issues a warning to Arche magazine

A reason for the warning was incorrect output data of the magazine issue dedicated to the events on December 19.

21.04.2011 Verdicts in 20 April trial: two arrests, a fine and a rehearing

Yesterday late evening, Judge Volha Komar of Minsk Frunzenski District Court pronounced verdicts to three Vitsebsk and Hronda civil activists, charged with disorderly conduct (using foul language).

21.04.2011 Babruisk leader of Social Democrats questioned by KGB

On 20 April, Yury Hryniavetski, leader of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party Hramada Babruisk office, was interrogated by local KGB agents.

21.04.2011 Official warning for comment on blog

On April 18 the editor-in-chief of “Babrujski kurjer” newspaper Anatoly Sanatsenka received a registered letter with delivery notification from the prosecutor’s office of Leninski district of Babrujsk.

21.04.2011 Stop Persecution of Our Colleagues! Statement of the Belarusian Association of Journalists

The Belarusian Association of Journalists protests vigorously against numerous facts of persecution of journalists and media that have been taking in Belarus since recently.

20.04.2011 Journalist Uladzimir Laptsevich appeals judge's actions

On 19 April Uladzimir Laptsevich, a journalist with the BelaPAN information agency, lodged a claim with the Chair of the main justice department of the Mahiliou Region Executive Committee, Aliaksandr Maimusau. He appeals actions of a judge of the Leninski District Court of Mahiliou Lanchava and an answer of the Chair of the court, Kuzhaleva, to him.

20.04.2011 Mahiliou: unidentified persons haunt democratic activists

On 19 April an unidentified man who introduced himself police officer Kapytau tried to meet with a civil activist Pavel Varashylau. In the morning he phoned to the home number, but Pavel was away at work. In some time he phoned to the mobile and invited the activist for a “talk” concerning the civil campaign Our House. However, Pavel refused to meet without getting an official writ. The policemen promised to issue the writ soon.

20.04.2011 Procuracy warns Nasha Niva again

The private socio-political weekly Nasha Niva was served an official warning by the Deputy Prosecutor General M.Kuklis for the article Colonel Baradach: Explosives Were Brought by Officers of a Secret Service where the former colonel of special-mission military troops expressed the opinion that the terrorist act in the Minsk metro could be ordered by some state officials who are interested in the destabilization of the situation in the country.

20.04.2011 Members of International Observation Mission still deported from Belarus

The Kyiv human rights defender Maryna Tsapok was going to Belarus to help the International Observing Mission of the Committee for International Control over the situation with HR in Belarus. She is one of the initiators of the civil campaign For Open Entry to the Republic of Belarus in Ukraine.

20.04.2011 Human rights defenders and journalists tried at Frunzenski District Court of Minsk

Trials against civil activists from Hrodna and Vitsebsk (Aleh Barshcheuski, Volha Karach, Pavel Levinau, and Pavel Staneuski) were held at the Frunzenski District Court of Minsk on 20 April.