20.07.2012 16-year-old girl arrested in connection with Swedish teddy bears “bombing”?

Katyaryna Skurat has been detained by the KGB. Her mobile phone is not available at the moment.

20.07.2012 Urgent: UN informed about torture of political prisoners

Urgent appeals on torture of Statkevich and Dashkevich have been sent to the United Nations.

Appeals asking to investigate the facts of inhuman treatment of political prisoners Mikalai Statkevich and Zmitser Dashkevich were sent to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture.

20.07.2012 Investigative Committee covers up police torture?

The Investigative Committee of Belarus has refused to initiate prosecution of a number of Minsk policemen who reportedly tortured Pavel Plaksa detained on suspicion of a theft on May 30, 2012. Meanwhile, Pavel Plaksa is still in custody at Zhodzina pre-trial prison.

20.07.2012 Zmitser Dashkevich marks birthday in punishment cell

The imprisoned Young Front leader marks his 31st birthday.

20.07.2012 Consideration of Aleh Hulak’s travel ban appeal delayed again

The consideration of a complaint lodged by the Belarusian Helsinki Committee leader Aleh Hulak against foreign travel restrictions has been postponed till 31 July, after the human rights defender presented a number of supplementary papers dealing with the case.

20.07.2012 Salihorsk Young Front activist appeals bike race ban

Salihorsk activist of the Young Front opposition movement Andrei Tychyna has lodged a complaint against a ban imposed on holding a bicycle race marking the anniversary of the 1995 controversial referendum.

20.07.2012 Hrodna court turns down complaint by BCD member

Hrodna Regional Court has upheld an earlier decision of Slonim District Court of 12 July, which fined local activist of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Volha Pansevich BYR 2 mln for alleged swearing and resisting arrest.

20.07.2012 Slutsk activist to stand administrative trial

Slutsk civil activist Vital Amialkovich is going to be tried on charges of violating Par. 1 Art.21.14 of the Administrative Code for allegedly posting stickers on a wall in central Slutsk.

19.07.2012 Jail officers accept medicines for environmental activist Novikava

Officers of the detention center on Akrestsina Street in Minsk accepted Thursday medicines for environmental activist Tatsyana Novikava, who had her thyroid gland removed.

19.07.2012 BHC observers denied access to sittings of Salihorsk election commissions

The Belarusian Helsinki Committee observers have not been able to attend the sittings of Salihorsk election commissions No. 68 and 69, says human rights defender Leanid Markhotka.

19.07.2012 KGB opens file on Andrei Bandarenka

Andrei Bandarenka, head of the Platforma human rights group, has been taken to the KGB central office to be informed that he is now registered as a reported delinquent and may face foreign travel restrictions under President Lukashenka’s recent Decree No. 295, www.belaruspartisan.org reports, quoting the human rights defender’s associates.

19.07.2012 Information on members of Barysau constituency elections commissions still secret

Barysau observers and ordinary voters are still unable to obtain information on the composition of local constituency elections commissions, as the town’s authorities have not yet published the data in the public media.

19.07.2012 LGBT activist convicted for wearing T-shirt “Freedom for Ales Bialiatski”

Judge Viktoryia Tkachova of Minsk Tsentralny District Court has sentenced Varvara Krasutskaya, activist of the Belarusian LGBT movement, to a fine of BYR 700,000 on charges of disorderly conduct (Art. 17.1 of the Administrative Code).

19.07.2012 Committee to Protect Journalists: KGB puts editor in jail over photos of teddy bears

New York, July 18, 2012--Belarusian security agents should immediately release a website editor who has been jailed for publishing photographs of teddy bears, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

19.07.2012 Youth activist detained in Minsk

Youth activist Mrs. Varvara Krasutskaya was detained yesterday evening in Minsk Kastrychnitskaya Square, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports, quoting Young Front member Ivan Shyla.