The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for June 2011

08.06.2011 European Belarus activist detained in Minsk metro

Activist of the campaign European Belarus Katsiaryna Yerusalimskaya was detained in the Pushkinskaya metro station last night.

08.06.2011 Check-ups in Pinsk

A wave of of the so-called “presidential check-ups” swung across Pinsk. This time the controllers check medical institutions. In particular, they check whether the personnel comes to work in time and whether any medics are absent at their working places during the working hours.

08.06.2011 Smaliavichy: detention of trade union activist Mikalai Pakhabau

At about 10 a.m. Mikalai Pakhabau, Chair of the Barysau town organization of the Belarusian Independent Trade Union of Radio Electronic Industry, was stopped by the road police near the town of Smaliavichy.

08.06.2011 Tax inspection hounds the Lipkovichs

The tax inspection demands the famous Belarusian blogger Yauhen Lipkovich and his wife to submit an asset and income declaration for 2010. Lipkovich received a letter from the tax inspection office on Monday.

07.06.2011 Belarusian Helsinki Committee received second warning

The Ministry of Justice issued the second warning to the Belarusian Helsinki Committee this year, allegedly because of “continuous violations of the tax legislation”.

07.06.2011 Salihorsk authorities ban protest rallies

The Salihorsk Town Executive Committee didn't authorize the actions of protest against the economic crisis that were scheduled for 11-12 June. The TEC Chair Aliaksandr Rymasheuski explained it with “the absence of clarity concerning the form of holding the mass events”.

07.06.2011 Weekly review of post-election situation in Belarus (30 May – 5 June)

The trials of the majority of figurants of the “19 December riot” criminal case came to an end in May. 31 people were convicted. However, there remain about 20 suspects and accused who haven't been tried so far. Rodion Marinichev, correspondent for the Russian TV channel Dozhd, was deported from Belarus and banned entry for 5 years. The court left in force the official warning to the private socio-political weekly Nasha Niva. The cassation appeal against the warning issued to the Chair of the Human Rights Center Viasna, Ales Bialiatski, for activities on behalf of unregistered organization, was left standing as well. The Ministry of Justice exercises pressure on lawyers. Convicts make statements about the use of torture during the investigation.

06.06.2011 Mahiliou riot police beat spectator at motorbike festival

The recent scandal with tear gas sprayed by ensign Retsikau near the face of a five-year-old child at a football match in Babruisk is still remembered by many. However, the riot police are not going to calm down.

06.06.2011 Mahiliou: disabled have no chance to enter new buildings

For instance, accoridng to information of Valery Tsimakin, a member of the Pinsk organization of wheelchair disabled, they are unable to enter the main office of Belahraprambank. The organization conducted monitoring concerning the creation of the barrierless environment in the city and registered many violations of the Belarusian legislation in this sphere.

06.06.2011 Maladechna: control beyond reason

Controlling the labor discipline at enterprises in Maladechna became especially strict after Lukashenka’s instructions.

06.06.2011 Mahiliou authorities ban picket against increase of prices

The Mahiliou City Executive Committee didn’t authorize a meeting against the increase of prices, inflation and decrease of the life standards of workers. The official reason for the ban is the failure of teh action organizers to conclude agreements with such state services as poilce, medics and public utilities.

06.06.2011 Search and interrogation concerning arson of the Palace of Justice

On 3 June the apartment of an activist of the Movement Forward Dzmitry Niafiodau was searched by the police headed by investigator Khamenka. Before this, he was also interrogated concernign the case of arson of the Palace of Justice in Minsk. Then he was guarded to the Minsk KGB, from which he was transferred to the Zavadski District Police Department of Minsk. He spent the weekend at the delinquents’ isolation center in Akrestsin Street in Minsk.

06.06.2011 Authorities harass internet activists

Ivan Stasiuk, a civil activist from Brest, was detained on the Belarusian-Polish border and guarded to the local KGB department. The Belarusian border guards took away Ivan’s passport and told him that the document would be returned to him after a “prophylactic talk”.

03.06.2011 Rahachou: opposition activist is promised a decrease in the sum of fines in case he gives up politics

Dzianis Dashkevich, an activist of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy, intends to hold the first socio-political action in the history of Rahachou on 3 July. According to his plan, several tens of people should come to the center of the town with posters “Where are 500 US dollars?” (the sum of the average wage publicly promised to Belarusian citizens by Aliaksandr Lukashenka).

03.06.2011 Hrodna: human rights defender Rutkouskaya appeals fine

On 25 May Sviatlana Rutkouskaya, a member of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee from Hrodna, was fined by the head of the Leninski District Police Department, lieutenant colonel Yauhen Yarmantovich. The matter is that Rudkouskaya, being the head of a local housing cooperative, had allegedly failed to issue the complaint book to a citizen, thus violating Article 9.24 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Republic of Belarus.