The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for January 2012

10.01.2012 First appeal against forced dactylography filed with UN Human Rights Committee

On 10 January Vasil Paliakou, head of the Homel regional branch of the United Civil Party, filed an individual communication with the UN Human Rights Committee concerning violation of Article 14 and 26 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights by the Republic of Belarus by forced dactylography.

10.01.2012 Barysau: “prophylactic talk” with UCP member

A member of the United Civil Party, collector of signatures for holding of a People’s Assembly Mikalai Iliiushonak. Mikalai had received a telephone call from the Barysau City Police Department before the New Year holidays and was told to come there. However, he demanded to be issued with an official summons first.

10.01.2012 Siarhei Kavalenka refuses to stop his hunger-strike, while procuracy refuses to drop his case

A lawyer of an activist from Vitsebsk has received an official reply from the prosecutor’s office of the Pershamaiski district.

10.01.2012 Baranavichy officials accuse Mikalai Charnavus of “arbitrary rule”

On 9 January Baranavichy-based civil activist Mikalai Charnavus was summonsed to room #106 of the Main Police Department of Baranavichy, located in 50 Years ULKSM Street, 1. As he found from the talk with police major Vital Dabrachynski and police lieutenant Aliaksandr Samtsevich, Baranavichy officials accused him of arbitrary rule.

10.01.2012 Miyory district: participants of constituent assembly of BCD are forced to refuse from their signatures

This information was voiced by a Miyory resident, coordinator of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party Bahuslau Matsuk. According to him, five people were subject to pressurization.

10.01.2012 Sviatlana Chornaya continues hunger-strike against death verdict to Kanavalau and Kavaliou

The woman has been on a hunger-strike of protest against the death sentence to Dzmitry Kanavalau and Uladzislau Kavaliou since December. The youngsters had been sentenced to death on charges of committing a terrorist act in the Minsk metro on 11 April 2011.

09.01.2012 Invitation to presentation in Vilnius

At 2 p.m. on 16 January the Belarusian Human Rights House in exile (Vilnius, Lithuania), the Human Rights Center “Viasna” (Belarus) and the civil campaign “Our House” (Belarus) hold the presentation of a book, a calendar, a postcard and a number of short videos, dedicated to participants of Square-2010, peaceful post-election protest action held on 19 December 2010 in the center of Minsk to protest against the rigged presidential election in Belarus.

09.01.2012 “Young Front” states about new intimidation campaign

On 9 January members of the civil movement “Young Front”, registered in Czech, held a press-conference in Minsk to express their concern with the new intimidation campaign, launched by KGB.

09.01.2012 Penal colony doesn’t accept medicines for Statkevich

The wife of the political prisoner visited the penitentiary in Shklou on 9 January.

09.01.2012 Attempt to crack UCP website

The website of the United Civil Party was inaccessible for several hours in the morning of 9 January.

09.01.2012 Hrodna: they returned the car, not newspapers

Siarhei Trafimchyk, head of the Hrodna Region Council of the movement “For Freedom” was returned the equipment that had been taken away by police on 7 October 2011.

09.01.2012 Ex-political prisoner Ales Kirkevich is required to pay fine for electoral meeting

On 6 January court marshals paid an unexpected visit to Ales's apartment. They demanded that he paid a fine to which he had been sentenced last year for holding an electoral meeting of Hrodna residents with presidential candidate Mikalai Statkevich. After the meeting Kirkevich and some more Hrodna activists had been sentenced to pay fines of 700,000 rubles for participation in “unauthorized rally”.

09.01.2012 Head of Vitsebsk branch of the “BPF Youth” summonsed to the economic crimes department

Aliaksandr Kuzniatsou, head of the Vitsebsk branch of the BPF Youth (youth wing of the Belarusian Popular Front Party) received a summons to the 9th bureau of the economic crimes department of the Vitsebsk region.

09.01.2012 Minsk: journalist imprisoned for elucidation of picket near KGB goes on hunger-strike

On 8 January guards of the Minsk KGB office detained an activist of the “European Belarus”, Mikita Kavalenka, and journalist Aliaksandr Barazenka. The action lasted for about a minute: Kavalenka unfurled white-red-white flags and portraits of political prisoners, while Barazenka shot it on video.

09.01.2012 Pavel Seviarynets is banned to maintain correspondence with Yauhen Vaskovich

Co-chair of the steering committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party Pavel Seviarynets, who is currently serving a personal restraint term, was banned to maintain mail correspondence with a BCD activist Yauhen Vaskovich, sentenced to 7 years of imprisonment for an attempt to set fire to the Babruisk KGB office in the night of 16-17 October 2010.