The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for 14 Feb 2012

14.02.2012 Appeal of HRC “Viasna” to Siarhei Kavalenka

The Human Rights Center “Viasna” issued an urgent appeal to Siarhei Kavalenka, who has been keeping a hunger-strike for 57 days already. Here’s the full text of the address:

14.02.2012 Rahachou: civil activist Dzianis Dashkevich taken for interrogation

In the morning of 14 February Rahachou-based civil activist Dzianis Dashkevich was visited by police officers who guarded him to the Rahachou District Police Department. According to Dashkevich, he was told that they needed to hold an interrogation on application of the head of the Rahachou District Executive Committee Viktar Banchuk and the chief editor of the district newspaper “Svabodnaye Slova” Andrei Shyshkin.

14.02.2012 Mahiliou: signers of address to authorities are intimidated

An official address with the demand to pave the way to polyclinic #7 was signed by hundreds of people several months ago. According to civil activist Aliaksei Paulouski, the people who go to the polyclinic from the nearest stop of the trolleybus stop often stumble. A worker of the polyclinic fell down and broke her arm there.

14.02.2012 “Young Front” activist Ivan Shyla detained in Minsk

According to the head of the “Young Front” Anastasiya Palazhanka, Ivan Shyla was detained by riot policemen – they pulled him into their car as soon as he went out of the PEN-center's Minsk office.

14.02.2012 Babruisk: police officer taxes explanations from civil activist Valiantsina Hlukhava

In the afternoon of 13 February pensioner Valiantsina Hlukhava, an activist of the civil movement “Tell the Truth!” was visited by a police captain. He asked her why she was collecting signatures for the arrangement of the bus stop “Infectious Hospital” and the creation of a pedestrian crossing there, though she lived in another district.

14.02.2012 Minsk City Court upholds verdict to Valiantsin Stefanovich

On 13 February the Minsk City Court upheld the verdict issued to the to the deputy-head of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” Valiantsin Stefanovich by the Partyzanski District Court of Minsk.

14.02.2012 General Procuracy finds nothing wrong with Lukashenka's statements

Viktar Tsiapin, a member of the Belarusian Leftist Party “Fair World” from Baranavichy, received an answer from the General Procuracy of Belarus, signed by the head of law observance supervision department Pavel Radyionau, states that the General Procuracy doesn't possess any written evidence of violations of the electoral legislation during the registration of presidential candidates on 19 December 2010.

14.02.2012 Mahiliou City Executive Committee doesn’t let people make copies of documents

The administration of the shopping center didn't extend the rent agreement to Mahiliou entrepreneur Liudmila Krylovich. The woman applied to the Mahiliou City Executive Committee and the Mahiliou Region Executive Committee. Three duty officials issued conclusions concerning her case. Liudmila was allowed to familiarize with the documents, but wasn't allowed to make any copies (which is necessary for appealing against the conclusions).

14.02.2012 Commission for pardons responds to hunger-striker Sviatlana Chornaya

She is protesting against the death sentence pronounced to Dzmitry Kanavalau and Uladzislau Kavaliou, keeping her hunger-strike since 30 November.

14.02.2012 Barysau: strike at BATE plant

As RFE/RL reports, electrical equipment assemblers at the main production site of the Barysau plant of automotive and tractor electrical equipment (BATE) stopped their work in the morning on 13 February. Workers of the second production site joined the strike. Workers are reported to have stopped working protesting against low wages. The received only 1.3-1.5 million rubles in January.

14.02.2012 Astravets: fire at construction site of nuclear power plant

A fire happened at the nuclear power plant construction site in Astravets at 6 a.m. on 12 February, but information about it was spread only yesterday.