The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for October 2012

17.10.2012 Mahiliou prosecutor’s office sees no crime in actions by election commission chair

Mahiliou prosecutors found no corpus delicti in the actions of the chairman of the district election commission No. 87 Aliaksandr Kazhamiakin. The decision was received by the head of the Mahiliou regional office of the Belarusian Popular Front "Adradzhenne" Zmitser Salauyou.

17.10.2012 Mahiliou trade union activist faces labor discrimination

Aliaksei Paulouski, activist of the independent trade union of the radio electronic industry, has been denied employment at a local homebuilding company. According to the activist, this is another example of labor discrimination.

17.10.2012 Rahachou activist seeks prosecution of state-run weekly on libel charges

Civil activist Dzianis Dashkevich is urging the police department of the town of Rahachou (Homel region) to open a criminal case against the chief editor of local state-owned newspaper called “The Svabodnaye Slova” (“Free Word”) for a number of offensive publications and libel.

17.10.2012 Ales Bialiatski awarded Paris’ Honorary Freedom

Ales Bialiatski, the imprisoned leader of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” and Vice-President of the International Federation for Human Rights, has been bestowed Honorary Freedom (Citoyen d’honneur) of the City of Paris, after his nomination was supported by the Council of the city’s 11th arrondissement and the Mayor’s Office.

17.10.2012 Bulhakau summoned to economic court

Valer Bulhajau, the editor-in chief of Arche magazine, is to appear in the regional economic court in Hrodna on October 18.

17.10.2012 Brave heart (Video)

New mini-film about the political prisoner journalist Iryna Khalip.

16.10.2012 Orsha investigators keep harassing civil activist

Mikalai Petrushenka, activist of the Nash Dom civil campaign, is due to appear tomorrow for questioning at the Investigative Committee’s Orsha office.

16.10.2012 Final report on monitoring media coverage of elections presented

Unlike all the previous elections monitored by BAJ, both state-owned and independent media lost interest in election related subjects pretty soon after the polling.

16.10.2012 EU Ministers Keep Sanctions On Belarus

European Union foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg have resolved to keep sanctions in place against Belarus, but they are continuing to hold out the prospect of lifting sanctions if Minsk improves its human rights record.

16.10.2012 Independent journalists in Krychau face obstacles in access to information

The executive authorities of Krychau district (Mahiliou region) are trying to restrict local journalists’ right to receiving information. In particular, local executive officials were ordered not to provide information to the reporters of the Volny Horad independent newspaper.

16.10.2012 Vitsebsk activist Barys Khamaida fined 200,000 rubles

Judge Mrs. Alena Tsyhankova of Vitsebsk Kastrychnitski District Court has found opposition activist Barys Khamaida guilty of committing an offence under Art. 17.1 of the Administrative Code and fined him BYR 200,000.

15.10.2012 Slonim: mechanic gets his wage cut for appeal to labor inspection

Mikhail Soshka, a mechanic of the Slonim knitting factory, applied to the district labor inspection and stated that he and five more workers of the steam-power workshop are forced to do the work that does not belong to their circle of duties and is dangerous for the factory and their own lives.

15.10.2012 Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders protests against arbitrary closure of "Platforma"

Here is the full text of the Observatory's Urgent Appeal on this case.

15.10.2012 Belarusian border gurads tortured Indian migrants to obtain false testimonies against civil activist Vital Koush

On 4 September the civil activist from Brest Vital Koush received charges under Article 371-1, part 2 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus – organization of unlawful migration, which envisages up to 7 years of imprisonment.

15.10.2012 Former candidate sues Brest City Executive Committee

Aliaksandr Melnik, a Brest citizen who ran for the Parliament at the latest election at the Brest-Western constituency #1, filed a lawsuit to court after receiving an answer from the city authorities.