The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for October 2012

03.10.2012 EU Ambassadors present a démarche to Foreign Ministry of Belarus to mark World Day Against the Death Penalty

On 2 October, to mark the World Day Against the Death Penalty (10 October), the Ambassador of Latvia to Belarus, together with the Ambassadors of France and Italy in Belarus and representatives from the European Union Delegation in Minsk presented a démarche to the Foreign Ministry of Belarus to repeatedly draw attention of Belarusian authorities to the issue of abolishing capital punishment in Belarus.

03.10.2012 Ivan Shyla gets charged with libel for complaint in connection with a strange days at a police station

As it was written in the Internet, in the beginning of July a young Salihorsk resident was put in the pre-trial prison of the Salihorsk District Police Department for disorderly conduct. Afterwards he was taken to the resuscitation department with a cranial trauma and died unconscious on 4 August.

03.10.2012 Central Election Commission gives similar answers to all appeals of Homel observers

The observers' appeals mainly concerned manipulations with the turnout at the precincts (as a rule, the numbers stated by the election commissions were twice larger than that of the observers).

03.10.2012 Ales Bialiatski writes about a great surprise and optimistic signs

In his letter of 27 September the human rights defender and political prisoner writes that he receives many postcards with congratulations on his jubilee, tells what became the greatest surprise he couldn't even imagine and reminds about the things we should always keep in mind.

03.10.2012 Political prisoner Mikalai Autukhovich gets isolated from outer world

The political prisoner does not receive letters. Autukhovich's Afghan war friend, Aliaksandr Sakharuk, fears Autukhovich does not receive mail. He said this to Euroradio: “He didn't reply to two latest letters. I sent a registered letter with delivery confirmation. I will wait and see what will happen. We both served in Afghanistan. When I began to wrote him, we found out we know the same towns and even kishlaks. I call him my army friend. I want to do my best to support him, but with no success.”

03.10.2012 Amnesty International: Activist threatened with rape and torture

Activist and prisoner of conscience Zmitser Dashkevich is being threatened with rape and torture in a penal colony in Mazyr, south-west Belarus, where he was transferred after his sentence on 28 August for allegedly violating prison rules entered into force.

02.10.2012 Human Rights Watch: Stop intimidation of political prisoners

Belarusian authorities should immediately end all harassment and intimidation of the political prisoners Ales Bialiatski and Zmitser Dashkevich, Human Rights Watch said today. Belarus should order an immediate investigation of all instances of mistreatment of detainees held on politically motivated charges, which activists say has increased recently, Human Rights Watch said.

02.10.2012 Hrodna Region Court turns down Ales Pushkin's appeal

On 2 October the Hrodna Region Court considered the appeal of artist Ales Pushkin against the verdict of the Smarhon District Court by which he had been sentenced to ten days of arrest.

02.10.2012 Civil activist Mikalai Ulasevich charged with insubordination to police

On 2 October two police officers came to Mikalai Ulasevich apartment and drew up a report for alleged insubordination to police (Article 23.4 of the Code of Administrative Offenses) which had allegedly taken place on 21 September.

02.10.2012 Salihorsk prosecutor's office turns down complaint of ex-candidate

At the beginning of the previous week Viktar Malochka, a former candidate for the Parliament at Salihorsk city election constituency #68, filed a complaint to the Salihorsk District Prosecutor's Office and the Salihorsk City Election Commission, demanding to re-calculate the ballots at precinct #15 and compare this number with the list of electors. A similar complaint was also filed by his electioneering agent Aliaksandr Malochka.

02.10.2012 Barysau: election commission unable to check whether there were any violations

Human rights defender Aleh Matskevich received an answer to his complaint Barysau election constituency #62 almost a week after the end of the election.

02.10.2012 Pickets against employment contracts banned across Belarus

The city executive committee of Mahiliou forbade holding a picket in front of the city administration building on 7 October, the World Day for Decent Work.

02.10.2012 Anatol Liabedzka accuses KGB of theft

The leader of the United Civil Party (UCP) has not still received back his money, diaries and information carriers seized during the latest presidential campaign.

01.10.2012 Human rights defender Zmitser Salauyou searched on the border

Zmitser Salauyou was searched at the border crossing point “Piashchatka” while returning home from Poland. His car and personal belongings were examined by border guards, customs officers and two men in plain clothes.

01.10.2012 Central Election Commission thinks there were no obstacles to agitation in Brest

Ihar Maslouski who ran for the Parliament at Brest-Central election constituency #2, received an answer to his complaint concerning determination of places for agitation pickets and meetings by the Brest authorities.