The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for June 2012

14.06.2012 Homel: hotel administration breaks rent agreement with “Talaka”

The administration of the “Nadzeya” hotel cancelled the rent agreement with the Homel local core organization “Talaka” on 13 June, several days before the meeting with linguists Piatro Sadouski and Vintsuk Viachorka.

14.06.2012 Soldier Muski refuses to take oath

“Young Front” activist Mikhail Muski was forcedly draft into the army. Though he applied for being assigned to alternative civilian service, referring to his religious convictions, but his application was declined due to the “absence of the mechanism of alternative civilian service”.

14.06.2012 Aliaksandr Malchanau informed about mother’s death only on Wednesday

On 13 June Aliaksandr Malchanau had a meeting with his lawyer at the Zhodzina prison. By coincidence, the telegram about mother’s death was passed to him this day, though Halina Malchanava died back on Saturday, 9 June.

14.06.2012 Mikalai Dziadok to spend 6 months in cell

Political prisoner Mikalai Dziadok was placed in a cell-type facility for 6 months for the alleged refusal to implement the order of the administration of Shklou colony #17 about six-day labor week.

14.06.2012 Court supports dismissal of deputy head of independent trade union at “Granite” enterprise

The deputy head of the independent trade union organization Mikalai Karyshau didn’t manage to defend his right to work at the Luninets District Court.

14.06.2012 Hlybokaye: tax inspection “insistently proposes” subscription to state-owner magazine

Officers of the tax inspection phone to enterprises and “insistently propose” that they subscribe to the magazine “Nalogovyi Vestnik” (“Tax Courier”). The cost of 6-month subscription is 640 800 rubles (about $78).

14.06.2012 Hrodna: court sides with city authorities

On 12 April a lawsuit of an activist of the United Civil Party, Siarhei Lis, against a picket issued by the Hrodna City Executive Committee, was considered at the Leninski District Court of Hrodna.

14.06.2012 Ales Bialiatski receives reprimands in prison

The human rights activist told about the pressure he faced in prison. Ales Bialiatski, imprisoned head of the Human Rights Center “Viasna”, wrote about it in a letter to human rights activist Valiantsin Stefanovich:

14.06.2012 Mahiliou region: KGB intimidates oppositionists

Law-enforcement officers hold preventive talks with democratic activists, informing them about administrative liability for taking part in unsanctioned events.

14.06.2012 Valiantsin Stefanovich put on black list by “technical failure”

It took more than three months for the citizenship and migration department at the Ministry of Internal Affairs to admit that Valiantsin Stefanovich was put on the travel ban list by mistake.

13.06.2012 International human rights organizations stress the nead of appointing a UN Special Rapporteur on Belarus

A number of human rights organizations (Human Rights Center “Viasna”, Belarusian Human Rights House, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Human Rights House Foundation, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International) adopted a special statement describing the deteriorating human rights situation in Belarus and emphasizing the need of appointing a Special Rapporteur on Belarus at the UN.

13.06.2012 Hrodna: head of regional culture department combats “Belarusization”

The head of the culture bureau of the Hrodna Regional Executive Committee Aliaksandr Viarsotski submitted a special errand to the heads of the culture department of all district executive committees and cultural establishments of the Brest region.

13.06.2012 Brest activists struggle for historical buildings

The local coordinator of the Movement "For Freedom" Dzianis Turchaniak addressed members of the Brest Region Council with the request to abolish the ruling of the Brest City Executive Committee concerning the construction of a hotel complex in a place where some historical buildings are located.

13.06.2012 Slonim: court fines beaten activist of Belarusian Christian Democracy

On 12 June the trial over Volha Pansevich, a member of the steering committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy, beaten by police this April, took place at the Slonim District Court.

13.06.2012 Problems of wheel-chair disabled

The Constitution of the Republic of Belarus guarantees the equality of rights to all social strata of the population. However, despite some measures and state programs, the inaccessibility of many social objects is still a daily issue for wheel-chair disabled.