The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for February 2012

09.02.2012 German Ombudsman banned entry to Belarus

The Belarusian authorities denied entry to Belarus for Germany’s human rights commissioner Markus Loening. The information was spread by the German MFA.

09.02.2012 Anarchist Frantskevich deprived of short-term meeting with his mother

Tatsiana Frantskevich passed a 30kg parcel to her son, who serves sentence in penal colony # 22 “Vouchyia Nory”.

09.02.2012 No pardon for Zmitser Bandarenka

A lawyer has visited Zmitser Bandarenka in the Mahiliou penal colony today.

09.02.2012 Results of monitoring of trial of Ales Bialiatski

This document was prepared by the Human Rights Center "Viasna" on the basis of monitoring of the criminal proceedings against its Chairman Ales Bialiatski.

08.02.2012 Brest: road police haunt owners of cars with “Pahonia” stickers

The cars of those who have stickers with the national emblem “Pahonia” (which used to be the state coat of arms of Belarus before Lukashenka’s rule) are photographed. The owners are summonsed to the police and threatened with fines for violation of Article 194.13 of traffic rules in the case they don’t remove the stickers.

08.02.2012 Vitsebsk Regional Court upholds sentence to Heorhi Stankevich

Heorhi Stankevich, the editor of the small-circulation newspaper “Kryvinka” applied to the court with the request to review the administrative case according to which he had been fined by the Beshankovichy District Court.

08.02.2012 Two “Young Front” activists detained in Baranavichy

The Baranavichy police detained the “Young Front” activists Yaraslau Hryshchenia and Vadzim Vashkevich who were handing out leaflets with the diagram according to which the exchange rate of the US dollar increased tenfold for the last ten years. Moreover, as it is stated in the leaflet, the state debt of Belarus became six times larger for the last five years.

08.02.2012 EU urges Belarusian authorities to stop torture of political prisoners

The EU calls on Belarus to fulfill the country’s international obligations of the absolute prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.

07.02.2012 For Freedom Brest leader appeals verdict by district court

Dzianis Turchaniak, coordinator of Brest office of the For Freedom movement, has lodged a cassational appeal against a ruling by Brest Leninski District Court, which dismissed the activist’s claim on allegedly illegal actions by deputy chair of the city’s executive committee, the Novy Chas newspaper reports.

07.02.2012 Three participants of solidarity rallies expelled from Minsk Linguistic University

On 6 February, three activists of the European Belarus opposition movement were expelled from Minsk State Linguistic University, following their conviction for involvement in a series of rallies of solidarity with Belarusian political prisoners.

07.02.2012 18 protests banned in Salihorsk in 2012

Eighteen mass events have been banned by Salihorsk town authorities since the beginning of the year alone, with six more pickets banned on 2 February, local human rights defender Uladzimir Shyla says.

07.02.2012 Mahiliou Regional Court upholds verdict to Babruisk resident

On 6 February, Babruisk resident Artsiom Markhasiou received an official ruling by Mahiliou Regional Court on his appeal against a 700,000-fine for alleged violation of the Mass Events Code requirements of 22 December.

07.02.2012 Human rights defender Aleh Vouchak appeals arrest

In his appeal against a four-day arrest for alleged using of foul language on 30 January, Aleh Vouchak, leader of the Kyiv-based Legal Assistance to Citizens Foundation, argues that the court ruling by Judge Aliaksandr Yakunchykhin is “illegal and groundless”, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports.

07.02.2012 Orsha police search residence of Nash Dom activist

On 6 February, Orsha police raided the private apartment of local activist of the Nash Dom civil campaign Mrs. Yanina Liasneuskaya, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports.