The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for February 2013

13.02.2013 Brest: "Fair World" opposes the introduction of service fees in polyclinics

The Brest regional branch of the Belarusian Leftist Party "Fair World" supported the protest of the local social-democrats against the proposal to introduce a fee for visitors of polyclinics.

13.02.2013 Minsk City Court dismisses Uladzimir Lemesh's appeal

On 12 February the Minsk City Court considered the appeal of an activist of the "European Belarus"" Uladzimir Lemesh.

12.02.2013 CE Human Rights Commissioner supports Belarusian human rights defenders

Human rights commissioner Nils Muižniek has warned member states over the “mixed signals and Realpolitik ” which undermine human rights in Belarus.

12.02.2013 Belarusian Christian Democracy calls to hold a "Wave of Solidarity" with political prisoners

The Belarusian Hhristian Democracy holds a "Wave of Solidarity" with prisoners of consciousness. Various actions will be held on a daily basis in 35 towns and cities of Belarus on 12 February – 24 March.

12.02.2013 Counsel finally allowed to meet with Andrei Haidukou at the KGB prison

On 11 February the counsel met with Andrei Haidukou who is charged with state treachery in the form of intelligence activities.

12.02.2013 Cases of the missing persons must not be dropped

The investigation into the cases of the missing politicians, which has lasted for 14 years, failed to establish the circumstances of their disappearance and the protractors. Meanwhile, the time limitation on these cases ends in a year. After 2014 the authorities can without a qualm of conscience state they "have done everything possible, but the bodies of the missing and the people guilty of their disappearance haven't been found".

12.02.2013 Homel NGOs to establish organization on disregard of decisions of the UN Human Rights Committee

On 12 February in Homel there took place a meeting of the civil and political activists, the violation of whose rights by Belarus had been officially confirmed by decisions of the UN Human Rights Committee or whose complaints are pending at the Committee.

12.02.2013 Provocations against political prisoner Statkevich resumed

According to statkevich.org, on 8 February the former presidential candidate Mikalai Statkevich phoned his relatives.

12.02.2013 "Indifference kills" trilogy (video)

A number of actions aimed at the abolishment of the death penalty is conducted within the framework of the "Human Rights Defenders Against Death Penalty" campaign. One of the directions of activism is informing the public that Belarus is the last country of Europe and on the post-Soviet space where this barbarian kind of punishment is still used.

12.02.2013 Liubou Kavaliova declared "Person of the year 2012 in Vitsebsk"

Liubou Kavaliova, the mother of the executed death convict Uladzislau Kavaliou (found guilty of the 11 April terrorist act together withDzimitry Kanavalau), still continues struggling for the good name of her son.

11.02.2013 Counsel not allowed to meet Andrei Haidukou again

The Navapolatsk civil activist Andrei Haidukou has been kept under arrest for three months already. These days, the term of the "investigation" into his case has been extended for another month. At the same time, his counsel is regularly prevented from meeting his client: the KGB authorizes the meetings, but then states that "there are no free rooms", as a result of which the factual access to defense is blocked for the suspect.

11.02.2013 Belarus has 140 prisoners sentenced for life

About 140 people are serving life sentences in Belarus, more than 80 of them in the Zhodzina prison #8. This is stated in the article "Sentenced to Life", published in the latest issue of the newspaper of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, "Na Strazhe".

11.02.2013 The Dutch present the Belarusian ambassador a golden coin with a portrait of Bialiatski

Furthermore, the Dutch section of "Amnesty International" gathered more than 84.000 signatures for the release of Ales Bialiatski. All signatures were passed to the Embassy of the Republic of Belarus to the Kingdom of Netherlands.

11.02.2013 Brest authorities try to forcibly evict a family before the end of the court proceedings

Uladzimir Hadun and all his family including his three-year-old daughter, received copies of the verdict of the Leninski District Court of Brest, according to which they are prescribed to vacate their apartment by 11 February.

11.02.2013 "Office Work in Belarusian!" asks football clubs to more widely use the Belarusian language

On the eve of the beginning of the Belarusian football championship in the higher league, activists of the civil initiative "Office Work in Belarusian!" addressed the twenty football clubs who take part in the championship, with the proposal to extensively use the Belarusian language during the organization, holding and elucidation of the matches.