The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for February 2013

05.02.2013 Svislach activists commemorate insurgents

On 2 February the Svislach activists honored the memory of participants of the insurgency of 1863-1864, laid down flowers to the monuments of its leaders Kastus Kalinouski and Ramuald Trauhut and the grave of Viktar Kalinouski (Kastus Kalinouski's elder brother, an ideologist of the rebellion).

05.02.2013 Prosecutor initiates a criminal case concerning assault and battery of BPF activist

Having considered the materials of a check-up concerning the infliction of bodily injuries to an activist of the Belarusian Popular Front Party Aliaksei Hudzilin, the prosecutor of the Pershamaiski District Court of Vitsebsk, senior justice advisor Yury Ramanouski decided to bring a criminal case under Article 153.

05.02.2013 Lidziya Yarmoshyna says village Soviets can be liquidated

According to the head of the Central Election Commission Lidziya Yarmoshyna the possibility of the liquidation of village and settlement Soviets was discussed at a council on amendment of the electoral legislation, held by Aliaksandr Lukashenka.

04.02.2013 Assembly of Pro-Democratic NGOs Named Civil Society Champions: Civil Leader, Campaign, Event of Year

The Fourth Annual awarding ceremony of The Assembly of NGOs of Belarus’ award – “Civil Society Champions 2012” – was held at the Lohvinau bookstore on 1 of February.

04.02.2013 "Arche" magazine denied re-registration again

The first time the application was filed late in autumn in 2012, and ended with refusal. “I submitted the documents as one of the founders of the organization which is going to be the publisher of the magazine Arche”, says Ales Pashkevich who is now performing chief editor’s tasks. “We did the same thing the previous time; then the problem appeared with my qualifications as an editor-in-chief. This time we applied for Valery Bulhakau to be an editor-in-chief. But the Ministry of Information says now that we do not observe the very procedure of submitting documents.”

04.02.2013 Unlawful food restrictions for Mikalai Statkevich

The former presidential candidate Mikalai Statkevich who is kept in the Mahiliou cell-type prison facility, still suffers from various restrictions and the high-security prison regime.

04.02.2013 Ales Bialiatski nominated for Nobel Peace Prize again

This is the first time our compatriot is put on the list of candidates for the prestigious prize for great services before humanity. Among other candidates there are also 15-year old Pakistani girl, Malala Yousafzai and the Russian human rights defender Liudmila Aliakseyeva.

04.02.2013 Vitsebskers continue complaining to UN Human Rights Committee

The United Nations Human Rights Committee registered a complaint of the Vitsebsk coordinator of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Tatsiana Seviarynets. The reason for the appeal to the HRC became the verdict of the Kastrychnitski District Court of Vitsebsk, issued 1.5 years ago, according to which she had been found guilty of violating the law on mass events and sentenced to a fine.

04.02.2013 Liudmila Rapaport: "It is funny when all people have fun, not only anti-Semits"

In Baranavichy, the private bakery "Dolce Vita" started selling a cake under the name "Poor Jew". The shop assistant stated that this name for the cake had been chosen by workers of the bakery, as far as other cakes weighing 1.5 kilos cost about 200,000 rubles, whereas the Jew is poor, it can be bought for 71,000 rubles.

04.02.2013 Another police raid on gay club. About 40 detained

About ten policemen in mufti have held another "check-up" in the Minsk club "6A" this month. The passport data of all present people were put down. About 40 of them were detained for identification and guarded to the police department.

01.02.2013 Orsha and Orsha district left without local authorities

Many citizens of Orsha and the Orsha district were surprised at reading an announcement, printed in a small font in the last issue of the local state-owned newspaper:

01.02.2013 Biaroza and Pruzhany activists commemorate executed participants of the national liberation uprising of Kastus Kalinouski (photo)

Civil activists from Biaroza and Pruzhany proceeded by the road of death of Kastus Kalinouski's insurgents. This is the 3-kilometer road from the village of Sharashava to the village of Kupichy, where Muravyov's hangmen executed insurgents in 1863.

01.02.2013 Ales Bialiatski: "These words are not for me alone"

The imprisoned head of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" Ales Bialiatski keeps receiving letters and postcards from all over the world. Though the holiday fuss is already over, sometimes he receives as many as 100 letters a day.

01.02.2013 No public discussion in Mahiliou

The construction of a new house in the Yubileiny suburb will take place despite the protests of the local dwellers.

01.02.2013 Baranavichy: Mikalai Charnavus raises the problem of transport in the village of Rusiny

The Baranavichy entrepreneur and civil activist Mikalai Charnavus filed a letter with 81 signatures of villagers to the Soviet of Ministers and the Brest Region Executive Committee.