The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for April 2011

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.

08.04.2011 Human rights defender Valiantsin Stefanovich continues struggling against violation of civil rights by police and procuracy

Human rights activist Valiantsin Stefanovich still hopes to draw officers of the Pershamaiski District Police Department of Minsk and the Pershamaiski District Procuracy to legal account for violation of his legal rights, as well as the rules of considering civil applications.

08.04.2011 Homel: psychiatrist got imprisoned for occasionally witnessing an arson

Three years of investigation, dozens of court hearings, dozens of complaints to all instances, 13 months in prison and eventual acquittal. This is the story of a Homel psychiatrist which started in the summer of 2008 in Homel. An unidentified person set fire to a garage in the Navabelitski district of Homel several times. Rescuers and the police arrived each time, but failed to detain the arsonist.

07.04.2011 Vitsebsk prosecutor is required to stop unlawful prosecution of Siarhei Kavalenka

Siarhei Kavalenka, activist of the Conservative-Christian Party Belarusian Popular Front was hospitalized from jail because of problems with his heart. His comrade Barys Khamaida addressed the city prosecutor with the demand to stop the unlawful prosecution of the activist aimed at spoiling his health, breaking him as a person and doing harm to his pregnant wife and 6-year-old son.

07.04.2011 Hrodna: Katsiaryna Herasimchyk fined for graffiti

On 6 April the trial of Katsiaryna Herasimchyk ended at the Leninski District Court of Hrodna.

07.04.2011 Hrodna: journalist Andrei Pachobut imprisoned

Andrei Pachobut, a journalist with Gazeta Wyborcza, is imprisoned in the temporary detention facility at the Kastrychnitski District Police Department of Hrodna, where he had been placed at night. The measure of restraint for him has been changed.

07.04.2011 Belarusian authorities don’t want any independent investigation into 19 December events

The Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs refuses to assist an independent investigation of the events within the frames of the OSCE Moscow Mechanism.

07.04.2011 KGB searches apartment of Natallia Radzina’s parents

Local KGB officers and an investigator from Minsk visited Natallia Radzina’s parents at home in Kobryn. They searched the house and seized the journalist’s notebooks, letters of solidarity from around the world, including the ones she got from the former Czech president Vaclav Havel and the Foreign Minister of Slovakia, Mikuláš Dzurinda. They also seized a computer of Natallia Radzina’s minor nephew.

07.04.2011 Prison guards refuse to accept medicines for Zmitser Bandarenka

The state of health of Zmitser Bandarenka, a European Belarus coordinator, who has spent more than 3 months in the KGB jail already, is disturbing.

07.04.2011 Anatol Liabedzka released from KGB jail

Accoridng to his son, Artsiom, on 6 April evening the leader of the United Civil Party Anatol Liabedzka was released from the KGB pre-trial prison on a written recognizance not to leave. He spent almost three months in jail. Now he is taking part in the meeting of the UCP National Committee.

07.04.2011 Biaroza: journalist Tamara Shchapiotkina banned to come out because of Lukashenka’s visit

According to preliminary information, Lukashenka will visit the silicate plant bought by businessman Yury Chyzh for 380 million rubles a few years ago and he may also visit the district hospital. Then the state leader will play hockey in the Ice Palace.