05.07.2011 Andrei Kasheuski was kept at Leninski District Police Department for 3 days

On July 4 the Leninski District court of Minsk sentenced Andrei Kasheuski, amember of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy, to 10 days of arrest.. He was detained on 1 July for distributing leaflets and was kept at the Leninski District Police Department for 3 days. His mother was informed about it only on the fourth day of the detention.

05.07.2011 Minsk: trials of participants of 3 July silent revolution

Over 160 people were detained during the silent protest actions in Minsk on 3 July, the official “Independence Day”. The trials of some of them have taken place already, while there is still no information about the fate of the rest. All defendants are charged under Article 17.1, “disorderly conduct”.

05.07.2011 May people use self-defence against attacking persons dressed in civilian clothing?

The Movement For Freedom (MFF) addressed the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus concerning the following issue: “Numerous facts of assaults of passers-by by unknown citizens have been registered lately in many cities and towns of the country. Persons dressed in civilian clothing (using rude physical force) seize peaceful citizens and (in some cases beating them) push them into cars, minibuses (often without license plates) or riot police’s transport vehicles. After that, they are brought to police stations, where they are informed of the fact that they are detained as part of an administrative judicial process.”

05.07.2011 Minsk: journalist detained at court

On 4 July the cameraman of the satellite TV channel BelSat Siarhei Kavaliou was detained in the corridor of the Frunzenski District Court of Minsk. He was preparing a report about the trials of the detained participants of the 3 July silent protest action when he was approached by three people in civvies who took him away in unknown direction.

05.07.2011 Internal Ministry refused to transfer political prisoner Dashkevich closer to his father

Viachaslau Dashkevich, the father of the political prisoner Dzmitry Dashkevich, asked the Ministry of Internal Affairs to transfer his son to another penal colony, closer to home.

05.07.2011 Brest: ten more participants of 29 June silent protest get fined

On 4 July the Leninski District Court of Brest sentenced to fines ten more participants of the silent protest action held in Brest on 29 June. All of them were charged under Article 23.34 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, “participation in unauthorized mass event”.

05.07.2011 Dzmitry Uss transferred to prison hospital

The former presidential candidate Dzmitry Uss was transferred to the national prison hospital in Valadarski Street in Minsk. Another political prisoner, Dzmitry Bandarenka, wrote about it in his letter to his wife Volha.

05.07.2011 Andrei Pachobut sentenced to 3 years of jail with 2-year determent

Andrei Pachobut, a journalist for the Polish weekly Gazeta Wyborcza, was tried at the Leninski District Court of Hrodna. He was charged with insult of president (Artice 368, part 1 of the Criminal Code) and libel against president, (Article 367, part 1). The charges under the former articles were dropped.

05.07.2011 Trials in Belarusian provinces (updated)

Brest According to human rights defender Raman Kisliak, the civil activist Aliaksandr Charkashyn awaits trial. Artur Anisimau was sentenced to 6 days of arrest, Ivan Stasiuk – to 10 days of arrest. All defendants are charged under Article 17.1, “disorderly conduct”.

05.07.2011 Tear gas fired and websites blocked as Belarus protesters are targeted

Belarusian authorities must refrain from using excessive force against protesters, Amnesty International said today, after police used teargas and arrested more than 300 protesters on Sunday.

04.07.2011 News about political prisoners

Here are some news about the participants of the mass protests of 19 December 2010 who were sentenced to prison terms.

04.07.2011 Forced dispersals of peaceful assemblies by the police are a gross violation of human rights

Statement by the Human Rights Center Viasna

At the time of the peaceful assemblies in Minsk and other Belarusian cities on 22, 29 June 29 and 3 July officers of the Ministry of Interior used physical violence and police gear against peaceful protesters. Mass detentions were conducted: occasional passers-by were detained together with protesters. As a result, hundreds of citizens were drawn to administrative responsibility (including arrest) on false charges of disorderly conduct, the use foul language in public places. The Human Rights Centre Viasna registered numerous cases of illegal use of physical force against detainees, facts of the lawless interference with professional activities of journalists on the part of law-enforcement officers and cases of detention of human rights defenders who monitored the aforementioned events.

04.07.2011 Brest: Artur Anisimau sentenced to 6 days of arrest

On 1 July the civil activist had been detained by people in civvies and guarded to the Maskouski District Police Department, where he was given charges under Article 17.1 of the Code of Administrative Offences, “disorderly conduct”.

04.07.2011 Homel: sentences to participants of silent revolution

On 4 July Alena Tsalkova, Judge of the Tsentralny District Court of Homel, tried the people who had taken part in the silent action of protest on 3 July.

04.07.2011 Ihar Bantsar sentenced to 10 days of arrest

On 4 July journalist Ihar Bantsar, an activist of the Union of Poles in Belarus, was sentenced to 10 days of jail within closed court proceedings.