The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for September 2011

27.09.2011 Government issues death certificates to families of Hryshkautsou and Burdyka

The families of Ales Hryshkautsou and Andrei Burdyka, executed in July 2011, can now receive death certificates at local civil registration departments, says Andrei Paluda, coordinator of the “Human Rights Defenders Against the Death Penalty” campaign.

27.09.2011 Three arrested opposition acitvists are on hunger strike in Homel

They are Andrus Tsianiuta, Kanstantsin Zhukouski and Zmitser Shauchenka.

26.09.2011 Dzmitry Us transferred to Minsk hospital

The relatives have not been informed about the reasons for that.

26.09.2011 Human rights groups express extreme concern over subway bombing trial

A number of Belarusian and foreign human rights organizations have expressed “extreme concern” over the ongoing trial of Dzmitry Kanavalaw and Uladzislaw Kavalyow who stand accused of this past April’s subway bombing and a number of other attacks.

26.09.2011 UN Committee admits violation in Brest activist’s case

The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) has admitted the violations made against civil activist Inha Abramava at a detention center in Brest.

26.09.2011 No parcels for Dashkevich allowed

Mrs. Tatsiana Seviarynets, Vitsebsk regional coordinator of the Belarusian Christian Democracy, has not been allowed sending a food and clothes parcel to the imprisoned Young Front leader and BCD activist Zmitser Dashkevich, who has been recently transported to Vitsebsk penal colony and is currently awaiting transfer, the Belarusian Christian Democracy press-service reports.

26.09.2011 Brest city executive committee denied sanction for march against enforced disappearance

Brest city executive committee has denied authorization for holding a march against forcible abductions.

26.09.2011 Beaten and arrested activist Kastus Zhukouski broke leg

An officer of duty at the detention facility in Homel phoned human rights activist Leanid Sudalenka and said Kastus asked to pass him crutches.

26.09.2011 Radoslaw Sikorski: Rehabilitation of all political prisoners needed

The European Union will adhere to its principles and insist on full rehabilitation of all Belarusian political prisoners.

26.09.2011 Is Andrej Sannikau in Mahiliou detention center?

Interior Ministry's department on serving punishments has informed this to his wife Iryna Khalip on September 26.

26.09.2011 Stefanovich set to return to Minsk on 29 September

Viasna lawyer Valiantsin Stefanovich is going to return to Belarus on 29 September, after over a month spent abroad, following the arrest of Viasna leader Ales Bialiatski, Radio Racyja reports.

26.09.2011 Ales Bialiatski studying case files

The imprisoned leader of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” Ales Bialiatski has reportedly started studying the materials of the criminal case under Par. 2 Art. 243 of the Criminal Code (“large-scale tax evasion”).

26.09.2011 Viasna’s PCs donated to boarding school

On 23 September, the personal computers seized by the KGB from the Human Rights Center “Viasna” were donated to a boarding school in Orsha.

26.09.2011 UN Human Rights Council hears report on situation in Belarus

The UN Human Rights Council has considered the interim report on the situation of political prisoners, human rights defenders, journalists and lawyers following the 19 December 2010 presidential election in Belarus.

26.09.2011 FIDH President Souhayr Belhassen congratulates Ales Bialiatski

On 25 September, Mrs. Souhayr Belhassen, President of the International Federation for Human Rights, congratulated FIDH Vice-President Ales Bialaitski on his 49th birthday on behalf of all FIDH members.