The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for December 2012

10.12.2012 Police raid “Free Theater” performances

On 8 December the police paid another visit to the Belarus “Free Theater” in Minsk. As the head of the “Free Theater” Mikalai Khalezin told charter97.org “policemen came as the day before. They stopped the performance “Zone of Silence” and put down the passport data of all the actors and spectators”.

10.12.2012 "Condemned to Be Free" – a short video about political prisoner Ihar Alinevich

Another mini-film of the "Chronicle of the Judgment Time" has appeared on the Internet. This one tells about the politically imprisoned anarchist Ihar Alinevich.

07.12.2012 “Amnesty International” holds global action in support of Ales Bialiatski (video)

The human rights organization “Amnesty International” starts an international marathon of letters which will take place on 7-17 December under the slogan “Write for Rights!”.

07.12.2012 Hrodna: court did not reinstate history lecturer Andrei Charniakevich at work

On 7 December the trial on the case of the historian Andrei Charniakevich came to an end at the Leninski District Court of Hrodna.

07.12.2012 Belarusian stability: the parents being dead, the children are evicted

A Minsk accountant Vera Mialeshka, her under-aged brother (whose guardian she is) and her two-year-old daughter are evicted from the apartment.

07.12.2012 Shklou: former prisoners ordered to clean park territory

At the end of November the Shklou District Police Department held a “Vacancies Fair” within the action “Step Towards”, aimed at socialization of people with previous convictions.

07.12.2012 Homel Region Court upholds fining Uladzimir Siakerka for insubordination to border guards

On 7 December the Homel Region Court considered an appeal against the verdict of the Chyhunachny District Court of Homel, according to which the head of the regional organization of the Belarusian Leftist Party “Fair World” Uladzimir Siakerka was fined 2 million rubles under Article 23.4 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, “insubordination to legal demands of public agents”.

07.12.2012 Vitsebsk region: Paulovichy could be burnt down after appeal to Lukashenka

At a special briefing held after the demolition of the village of Paulovichy, the chairman of the Vitsebsk City Executive Committee Viktar Mikalaikin solemnly stated the journalists of the government owned media that all the residents of the village received apartments in the city in exchange for their houses. And compensations were added to that. That is why the noise around the topic was redundant.

07.12.2012 Viktar Ivashkevich: amendments to Electoral Code are disguise for West

Amendments to the electoral legislation will not affect the course of electoral campaigns, the politician is confident.

07.12.2012 Art-Siadziba closed down for the third time

The opening of the “Art-Siadziba” (“Art Homestead”) at a new location was appointed on 6-7 December. The organizers promised to hold events with participation of writers and musicians.

07.12.2012 The family of a “Fair World” activist detained on the border

The family of an activist of the Belarusian Leftist Party “Fair World”, Ilona Tkachova, was detained by the Belarusian border guards at the border crossing point “Novaya Huta”.

07.12.2012 Human Rights Center “Viasna” calls on you to mark the Human Rights Day by solidarity actions with political prisoners

On 10 December the world will celebrate another anniversary of adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the UN General Assembly. Since 10 December 1950, this day has been marked as the International human rights day.

07.12.2012 Ten years in prison for confession under torture

Pavel Plaksa from Minsk was sentenced to 10 years in a medium security penal colony.

07.12.2012 Belarusian delegation calls OSCE to forget about human rights

The position of the official Minsk was expressed by Belarusian deputy foreign minister Aliaksandr Mikhnevich at the OSCE Ministerial Council, Interfax-West reports.

07.12.2012 33 rights groups call for release of Ales Bialiatski

The 33 member organizations of the Civic Solidarity Platform have urged the Belarusian authorities to release human rights defender Ales Bialiatski and allow the Human rights Center “Viasna” to continue its operations, BelaPAN said.