The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for May 2011

12.05.2011 Trial on closure of Nasha Niva postponed till consideration of appeal against third warning of Information Ministry

This is the result of the preliminary hearings that took place at the Supreme Economic Court on 11 May. Judge Kuryla granted the solicitation of the defendant for postponing the trial.

12.05.2011 Political prisoner Zmitser Bandarenka transferred to prison in Valadarski Street

On 10 May a political prisoner Zmitser Bandarenka was transferred from the KGB jail into the prison in Valadarski Street.

12.05.2011 Analytical review of the trial on the criminal case of Drozd, Khamichenka, Kirkevich, Pratasenia and Vinahradau

During the court proceedings there wasn't presented any evidence that a mass riot, accompanied with the aggregate of such actions as personal violence, destruction of property and armed resistance to public agents, had really taken place in Nezalezhnasts Square on 19 December 2010.

10.05.2011 Autoradio is still considered as “extremist”

On 10 May the cassation board of the Supreme Economic Court declined the cassation appeal of Autoradio. The radio station asked the court to reverse its verdict of 29 March which left in force the decision of the National commission on TV and radio broadcasting according to which the airplay of Autoradio was to be stopped.

10.05.2011 Vitsebsk: journalist decided not to attend his “trial” and was fined in absentia

Uladzislau Staraverau was to have been tried at the Kastrychnitski District Court of Vitsebsk in connection with his detention at the Chernobyl Way action held in Vitsebsk on 26 April.

10.05.2011 Dar'ya Korsak: prisoners were threatened with Tasers

Dar'ya Korsak, the wife of the political prisoner Aliaksandr Atroshchankau, managed to talk to him during the open house day at the penal colony Vitsba-3.

10.05.2011 Police deny having detained Mikhail Kavalkou

On 29 March 2011 the leader of the Free Trade Union of Belarus Mikhail Kavalkou filed complaints with the police and the procuracy.

10.05.2011 Andrei Pachobut is left behind bars

Journalist Andrei Pachobut, charged under two articles of the Criminal Code – Article 368, part 1 of the Criminal Code, “defamation of President of the Republic of Belarus”, and Article 367, part 1, “libel against President of the Republic of Belarus”, was visited by his counsel, Aliaksandr Birylau.

10.05.2011 No holidays for Orhsa teachers

At the beginning of May, when many workers of the budget sphere were freed from work because of the 1 May holidays, officers of the Presidential Administration and the education department of the Vitsebsk Regionl Executive Committee checked up the secondary schools in the town of Orsha. The official reason for the check up was the 11 April terrorist act in the Minsk metro.

10.05.2011 Polatsk post: “There won't be such a newspaper anymore”

The court verdict on closing down the private socio-political weekly Nasha Niva hasn't been pronounced. However, the subscription to it is stopped in Polatsk and the Polatsk district.

10.05.2011 Asipovichy: what for do KGB and police need confiscated guitar?

Officers of law-enforcement agencies still haven't returned the confiscated guitar, private diaries, drafts of songs and laptop to Ihar Simbirou, an activist of the electoral team of presidential candidate Uladzimir Niakliayeu.

10.05.2011 Weekly review of post-election situation in Belarus (2-8 May)

Trials of 22 accused in the 19 December “mass riot” case continued in four district courts of Minsk. Dzmitry Drozd, Uladzimir Khamichenka, Ales Kirkevich, Andrei Pratasenia and Pavel Vinahradau were found guilty under Article 293 of the Criminal Code by Ala Bulash, Judge of the Kastrychnitski District Court of Minsk. The verdict was very harsh: Kirkevich and Vinahradau were sentenced to 4 years in a high-security prison and all the rest – to 3 years. Five more human rights defenders, representatives of the International Observation Mission, were deported from Belarus. The right to freedom of associations and expression is still violated, persecution of civil and political activists is going on as well.

06.05.2011 Valiantsin Stefanovich: “We declare the convicts political prisoners”

The lawyer stated it in his interview to RFE/RL, commenting on the verdicts to Dzmitry Drozd, Uladzimir Khamichenka, Ales Kirkevich, Andrei Pratasenia and Pavel Vinahradau. Mr. Stefanovuch watched the whole trial of these participants of the protest action of 19 December 2010.

06.05.2011 Political confrontation in Ivatsevichy

Kazimir Karzhyneuski, a member of the United Civil Party from the village of Liubishchytsy in the Ivatsevichy district, addressed the Ivatsevichy district prosecutor with a request to check the legality of the court verdict concerning his administrative case.

06.05.2011 Barysau: police have no problems confiscating once belongings. The problem is how to return them to the owner

A year ago, on 18 May, the Barysau police confiscated personal belongings from the apartment of an activist of the civil campaign Speak Truth! Viktar Harbachou, who is in forced emigration now for fear of political persecution and imprisonment.