The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for December 2011

08.12.2011 Anastasiya Palazhanka is asked about her place of residence

Anatasiya Palazhanka, the “Young Front” deputy head, visited the penal office of the Pershamaiski district police department of Minsk on 6 December. She was not issued with a warning, but police asked if her place of residence changed, “Belorusski Partizan” learned from Anastasia’s friends.

07.12.2011 Bialynichy procuracy pays interests to activities of Amnesty International expert

Six years ago a terrible family murder was committed in the village of Vialikaya Mashchanitsa. Six people were killed, including two small children. A day later five villagers, aged 18-24, were detained. Soon they were charged with the murder. The investigation lasted for almost 1.5 years.

07.12.2011 Brest authorities ban 10 December rally

The official reason for the ban is that some “mournful event will take place in the park of soldiers-internationalists with participation of a delegation from Nizhniy Novgorod”.

07.12.2011 Hrodna: advertisement of Radio “Racyja” not returned

On 26 November advertisement production of the Belarusian radio “Racyja” was confiscated from the car of human rights defender Viktar Sazonau. He was told that he would be informed about the fate of the confiscated items within ten days: they would be either returned to him, or destroyed.

07.12.2011 Krychau: tax inspectors fine editor of “Volny Horad”

On 6 December Siarhei Niarouny, the editor of the independent Krychau newspaper “Volny Horad”, was summonsed to the local tax inspection and presented a ruling according to which he was fined 350,000 rubles for presenting incorrect information in his income and assets declarations.

07.12.2011 30,000 Spanish citizens sign against executions in Belarus

The campaign by Liubou Kavaliova, the mother of one of the convicts in the 11 April metro blast case, yielded more than 30,000 signatures at the popular Spanish website Actuable.es.

07.12.2011 Court prescribes forced medical treatment for Aliaksandr Kruty

The trial of the father of Inesa Krutaya, a victim of the 11 April blast in the Minsk metro, was closed. There were only a prosecutor, a judge, a secretary, Aliaksandr's lawyer and the victim – doctor Valiantsina Chupik. It was her who insisted on the closed regime.

07.12.2011 Babruisk: trial postponed

The second hearing on the case of the “Young Democrats” Alena and Dzmitry Toustsiks, Maryna Ivanova and Artsiom Markhasiou, who had lit candles on Ancestors' Commemoration Day, 2 November, was to have taken place today, on 7 December.

07.12.2011 Minsk: mother of many children protests against death penalty

Mother of many children Tatsiana Hatsura has conducted a special performance together with her children.

07.12.2011 Warning issued to Uladzimir Niakliayeu

The prosecutor’s office of Leninski district of Minsk has issued an official warning to the presidential candidate Uladzimir Niakliayeu.

07.12.2011 Participants of OSCE Ministerial Council call Belarus to release political prisoners

Dutch Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal called upon the Belarusian authorities to stop persecuting civil society activists and release all political prisoners, Euroradio reports.

07.12.2011 Moroccan Organization for Human Rights calls Lukashenka to release Bialiatski

We present to your attention the full text of the letter of Amina Boyanach, OMDH President.

06.12.2011 Minsk: police haunt national-Bolsheviks

On 6 December morning the police started searching for the youngsters who could have relation to the action which had been conducted at the entrance of the Belarusian State TV and Radio Company on 3 December.

06.12.2011 Mahiliou Region Court doesn't justify participant of People's Assembly

On 6 December the Mahiliou Region Court considered the appeal of Uladzimir Shantsau, the head of the Mahiliou region organization of the United Civil Party, against the fine of 1.4 million rubles, imposed on him by the Leninski District Court of Mahiliou for the organization of the People's Assembly in Mahiliou on 8 October.

06.12.2011 Brest activists appeal against picket bans

Brest-based civil activists filed with the Brest Region Court an appeal against the refusal of the authorities to authorize pickets in support of political prisoners.