The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for July 2011

19.07.2011 Statkevich and Us remain in prison

Minsk city court left the sentences of the Lenin district court in force.

19.07.2011 Opposition activist summoned to prosecutor's office for questioning over "insulting" remarks about Lukashenka

Opposition activist Yury Salodki has been summoned to visit the Vitsyebsk Regional Prosecutor's Office for questioning over his remarks that allegedly insult Alyaksandr Lukashenka.

18.07.2011 Biaroza resident appeals police violence

On 13 July, Biaroza policemen reportedly arrested and beaten Mrs. Halina Kavalevich, local activist of the Conservative Christian Part of the Belarusian Popular Front.

18.07.2011 EU foreign policy chief condemns brutal handling of “silent protesters” in Belarus

Catherine Ashton “regrets the Belarusian authorities’ brutal handling on repeated occasions of the ‘silent protesters’ – ordinary Belarusian citizens who peacefully and legitimately express their discontent over the situation in the country,” the spokesperson for the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy said in a statement issued on Saturday.

18.07.2011 Prisoners' godparenthoood: Jean-François Steiert adopts Ilya Vasilevich

Swiss member of parliament Jean-François Steiert (Social Democrats) adopts a prisoner’s godparenthood for Ilya Vasilevich.

18.07.2011 Russian national appeals fine

Russian citizen Mrs. Marina Dukmasova has lodged a complaint with Minsk City Court appealing a verdict pronounced by Minsk Partyzanski District Court following her alleged involvement in a “silent protest” on 6 July.

18.07.2011 Navapolatsk protester faces dismissal

Aleh Kraiko, employee of Navapolatsk-based Palimir state-owned enterprise, is facing dismissal after he was forced to sign a written undertaking not to participate in anti-government protests.

18.07.2011 OSCE Moscow Mechanism report on Belarus

On 16 June 2011, Emmanuel Decaux, OSCE Moscow Mechanism rapporteur, presented to the OSCE Permanent Council today his report about the human rights situation and implementation of OSCE commitments in Belarus since the December 2010 presidential election.

18.07.2011 Young opposition activist in Brest heavily fined over "silent" protest

A district judge in Brest on July 15 imposed a heavy fine on young opposition activist Yury Batsuk over a "silent" protest staged in the city on July 6.

15.07.2011 Navapolatsk: “silent protesters” punished with fines

The Navapolatsk Town Court considered the administrative cases of the civil activists detained during the silent protest action on 13 July.

15.07.2011 Uladzimir Malei lodged comlplaint against his detention

On 14 July Uladzimir Malei, member of the Human Rights Center Viasna from Malaryta, lodged a complaint with the Malaryta District Procuracy concerning unlawful actions of the police officers who had detained him on 13 July in the evening.

Salihorsk: <em>Young Front</em> activist Ivan Shyla sentenced to 8 days of arrest

15.07.2011 Salihorsk: Young Front activist Ivan Shyla sentenced to 8 days of arrest

Ivan Shyla, Deputy Chair of the Young Front, was detained on 13 July in the evening in the town supermarket. The hearings on his case started at the Salihorsk District Court Yesterday, but were postponed to 15 July after he demanded to be provided with advocatory services.

15.07.2011 Yauhen Vaskovich is kept in penal cell

According to information of Taisiya Kabanchuk and Tatsiana Shambalava, coordinators of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy in the Mahiliou region, Yauhen Vaskovich, a member of the organizing committee from Babruisk who has been sentenced to 7 years of imprisonment for arson of a KGB department, is kept in the penal cell of the corrective colony #15 in Mahiliou.

15.07.2011 Hlybokaye: journalist is “advised” not to come to central square on Wednesday evenings

Dzmitry Lupach, editor of the Hlybokaye advertisement newspaper Prefect-info, was summonsed to the police. The writ was passed to him at the central square of the town on 13 July, during a silent protest action.

15.07.2011 Niasvizhski Chas not sold at state newsstands

At the end of June the editorial office of the private socio-political newspaper Niasvizhski Chas sent a letter to the state enterprise Minskablsayuzdruk to propose cooperation. In the beginning of July the enterprise answered that on 3 January 2011 it finished the campaign on concluding such agreements with periodicals and doesn't intend to sell the newspaper this year.