The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for October 2011

12.10.2011 Homel: Kanstantsin Zhukouski was handcuffed to radiator

Political activist Zhukouski wanted to attend the trial of Valery Sliapukhin. As far as Judge Illia Svirydau postponed the trial to an unknown time, Zhukouski tried to ask the judge and the secretary about it. However, he didn't find them in their rooms. That's why he came to Tatsiana Adrynets, chairwoman of the Chyhunachny District Court of Homel. She answered that the trial would continue at 3 p.m. However, Mr. Zhukouski noticed that the judge intended to continue the trial during the dinner break.

12.10.2011 Homel: Valery Sliapukhin fined a large sum of money

Valery's friends kept their duty at the entrance of the Chyhunachny District Court of Homel since morning on 11 October. The defendant was taken to the court only at 1 p.m. Judge Illia Svirydau didn't let some of the activists in the court hall, as they had to look for the room where the trial was taking place and were a bit late. As a result, political activist Kanstantsin Zhukouski filed a complaint concerning the actions of the judge and the situation when people have to look for the place of the trial.

12.10.2011 Hrodna: people in civvies besiege apartment of “Young Front” activist

The apartment of an activist of the “Young Front”, Volha Kamiahina, was kept in siege in the morning. A minibus came to the yard. After unknown people stopped phoning on the intercom, she received a telephone call, allegedly from the post, with the request to accept registered mail.

12.10.2011 KGB refuses to return personal belongings to Anatol Liabedzka

The administration of the KGB prison, where Mr. Liabedzka was kept, refused to return him his notebooks, money and the cross he wore on his neck. The official reason is that Liabedzka cannot show his passport (which was allegedly attached to his case).

11.10.2011 Head of Shklou colony creates obstacles to Mikalai Statkevich’s marriage

Siarhei Yarmalitski, head of penal colony #17 in Shklou, purposefully refuses to sign the statement about the intention to get married, signed by the former presidential candidate, political prisoner Mikalai Statkevich. He also refused to have an audience with civil activist Krystsina Shatsikava.

11.10.2011 Will investigator of Bialiatski’s case get disciplinary punishment?

Human rights defender Siarhei Ustsinau appealed against the standard refusal to change the restraint to Ales Bialiatski, issued by Tatsiana Kasynkina, an investigator of the Financial Investigations Department of the State Control Committee. The Minsk City Procuracy stated that the investigator had chosen the right restraint.

11.10.2011 Baranavichy: Viktar Meziak gets fined

Viktar Meziak, the chairman of the organizing committee of the People's Assembly in Baranavichy, was fined 350,000 rubles.

11.10.2011 Homel: persecution of organizers of People's Assembly continues

Homel authorities continue persecuting organizers of the assembly which took place on 8 October.

11.10.2011 Baranavichy authorities ban picket in support of Yuliya Tymoshenko

The Baranavichy City Executive Committee didn't allow Ryhor Hryk, a member of the United Civil Party and the Movement “For Freedom” to hold a picket in support of the Ukrainian politician Yulia Tymoshenko who has been sentenced to 7 years of imprisonment.

11.10.2011 Vitsebsk: police intimidate civil activists

On 11 October the Vitsebsk youth intended to hold a flash-mob “Radiation 2.0” in order to express their disagreement with the state plans to construct a nuclear power plant in Belarus. A special event was created in the social network “Vkontakte” in order to coordinate the actions.

11.10.2011 Friends and relatives don't receive letters from Ales Bialiatski any more

Ales Bialiatski's friends and relatives stopped receiving any letters from him. In particular, the last letter received by his wife Natallia is dated 20 September. Some of Ales's friends haven't received to three or more letters already.

11.10.2011 Niakliayeu is warned for People's Assembly

The criminal-executive inspection of the Leninski District Police Department of Minsk warned the former presidential candidate, political prisoner Uladzimir Niakliayeu, for participation in the People's Assembly on 8 October in Minsk.

11.10.2011 Slonim: trial of Ales Masiuk

On 10 October the Slonim District Court started trying Ales Masiuk, a local activist of the Belarusian Christian Democracy, for participation in the People's Assembly on 8 October.

11.10.2011 Belarusian police: smothering people to prevent epileptic attack

The Pershamaiski District Procuracy of Minsk refused to to initiate a criminal investigation into the beating of a pensioner, Uladzimir Marozau, by police officers on 6 July.

10.10.2011 Killer state

Death convicts are executed every year only in one European country, Belarus. The state continues to take revenge on the criminals, forgetting about the principles of rehabilitation and just punishment, and thus becomes the murderer of its citizens.