The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for November 2011

03.11.2011 Are letters to “Narodnaya Volia” censored?

Salihorsk-based civil activist Mikalai Sharavar thinks that the Belarusian post can censor the letters that are sent to the editorial office of the private newspaper “Narodnaya Volia”.

03.11.2011 Homel: police hound Kastus Zhukouski

Homel police still persecute the civil activist. According to Zhukouski, a police car with five policemen in uniform kept duty near his house on 2 November. “A friend came to me at about 12 a.m. – the car was standing near my house. At 2 p.m. the car was still there, and even in the evening, after 6 p.m. Don’t they have any other things to do? Probably, they want to isolate me on the eve of the People’s Assembly appointed on 12 November,” commented Mr. Zhukouski.

03.11.2011 Human rights defenders draw attention to manifestations of neo-Nazism in Brest

The Brest regional newspaper “Zarya” has published an article “Brown Distemper” about a severe beating of two citizens by fans of a local football club. As said by a member of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee Valiantsin Lazarenkau, this article again confirms that there is really a neo-Nazi youth group among the local football fans.

03.11.2011 Vitsebsk: shall Tatsiana Seviarynets pay one fine twice?

Vitsebsk-based activist Tatsiana Seviarynets received a letter from the Pershamaiski District Court of Vitsebsk, signed by court marshal Katsiaryna Tkachonak. According to the letter, the activist shall pay 700,000 rubles fine for the organization of an unauthorized mass event on 3 July (she just proceeded along Lenin Street in a company of friends).

02.11.2011 Trial of Belarus Human Rights Defender Ales Bialiatski Opens Today

Front Line Defenders Deputy Director Unable to Enter Country to Visit Other HRDs

02.11.2011 BELARUS: The authorities deny visas to FIDH President and Honorary President to attend Ales Bialiatski's trial

Paris-Geneva, Paris, November 2, 2011 - The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the FIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) strongly condemn the refusal by the authorities of Belarus to grant FIDH President, Souhayr Belhassen, and Honorary President, Patrick Baudouin, visas to observe the trial of FIDH Vice-President, Ales Bialiatski, who is held in pre-trial detention since August 4, 2011 on charges of “serious tax evasion”.

02.11.2011 Nasta Palazhanka is banned to go abroad

On 2 November Nasta Palazhanka, Deputy Chairwoman of the “Young Front”, was summonsed to the police without explanation of the reasons.

02.11.2011 Babruisk: Kanstantsin Loktseu to be tried

Kanstantsin Loktseu, Chairman of the organizing committee of the People’s Assembly which had taken place in Babruisk on 8 October, was interrogated at the Babruisk City Police Department.

02.11.2011 Vitsebsk: Tatsiana Seviarynets is warned

On 12 November civil and political activists of Vitsebsk intend to hold an assembly of the Vitsebsk residents who set forth their demands at the People’s Assembly on 8 October.

02.11.2011 Photo fact: Ales Bialiatski’s chair at press-conference in New York

The organizers of the press-conference of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders which took place in New-York on 24 October, put an empty chair in the presidium, which symbolized the presence of Ales Bialiatski at the event.

02.11.2011 Trial of Ales Bialiatski (updated)

Extraordinary precautions have been used since 9 a.m. near the building of the Maskouski District Court of Minsk. Special police forces and several cars of the road police arrived. Private parking spaces were fenced with protective police tapes. The people who wanted to attend the trial started gathering at the entrance. At 9.30 a.m. Ales Bialiatski was guarded to the court.

01.11.2011 Presence of foreign human rights defenders is undesirable at the trial of Bialiatski

In many countries the Belarusian Embassies refuse to issue visas to representatives of human rights and international organizations who want to attend the consideration of the criminal case of Ales Bialiatski, Chairman of the Human Rights Center “Viasna”.

01.11.2011 Human Rights Watch: Drop charges against Ales Bialiatski

The international human rights organization "Human Rights Watch" urges the Belarusian authorities to drop charges against the Chairman of the Human Rights Center "Viasna".

01.11.2011 Wives of political prisoners state about increased pressurization of their husbands

Iryna Khalip stated that the pressurization of her husband, ex-presidential candidate Andrei Sannikau, increased. “The regime won't stop at his liquidation”, she said. According to her, a man ill with tuberculosis was put in the same cell with Sannikau. He was also deprived of the opportunity to have a tete-a-tete meeting with his counsel. In addition, he was threatened with sending to another colony if the media continued writing about him. The authorities are trying to make Andrei Sannikau write an appeal for pardon.

01.11.2011 Babruisk: police warn local activists

In the evening of 31 October a police inspector paid a visit to Yury Hryniavetski, the leader of the Babruisk social democrats. He warned the activist against participation in unauthorized mass events, handing out printed editions without imprint, etc.