The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for June 2013

06.06.2013 London Belarusians hold flash-mob against death penalty

At 8 a.m. on 6 June Belarusians of London held a flash mob against the death penalty. They reminded that in Belarus bodies of death convicts aren't issued to their relatives, but burried in an undisclosed location.

06.06.2013 Lukashenka makes personnel changes in the judiciary

As stated by the press service of the President, Aliaksandr Pautau and Uladzimir Putsila were appointed judges of the Supreme Court with the subsequent approval of these appointments by the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly. They were freedom from the earlier postitions of the deputy head of the deputy head and a judge of the Belarusian Military Court and the head of the head and a judge of the Minsk City Court respectively.

06.06.2013 Students protest: stage for Culture University remains unfinished for 6 years already

Since its inception, the Belarusian State University of Culture and Arts hasn't had its own stage, where students, including those who are prepared to work in the theaters, could show their skills or just rehearse. A student of the Faculty of the Belarusian traditional culture and contemporary art decided to influence this situation and appealed for public support. And already had some success.

06.06.2013 Lukashenka's new decree: permission of ideologists required to hold a live performance

Aliaksandr Lukashenka signed decree #257, according to which it is necessary to receive the permission of ideologists to conduct mass cultural events.

06.06.2013 Mikhail Khvastou: Belarus does not need a special rapporteur

Belarus does not need a special rapporteur or any similar institutions. This was stated by the representative of Belarus to the UN in Geneva Mikhail Khvastou, at a session of the UN Human Rights Council, where in the evening on June 4 the latest report on Belarus, presented by the special rapporteur on the situation in Belarus, Miklos Haraszti,was discussed.

06.06.2013 Another death verdict about to be issued in Belarus

The state prosecutor demanded capital punishment for the murderer of a Homel student.

06.06.2013 Prosecutor General will have to answer whether courts rightly refused to consider complaints of human rights defender

Baranavichy human rights activist Siarhei Housha sent to the Prosecutor General of Belarus a supervisory appeal against the refusals of the court of first instance and the appeal court to consider his lawsuits concerning the failure of the Republic of Belarus to pay him a compensation for moral damages, as required by a decision of the UN Human Rights Committee.

05.06.2013 Vitsebsk Regional Court upholds dismissal of activist of Free Trade Union of Belarus

The judge turned down the appeal against the dismissal of the head of a unit of the independent trade union Viktar Stukau. He tried to appeal the ruling of the Polatsk City Court, which confirmed that his dismissal from the company "Polatsk-Glass" was done correctly.

05.06.2013 Question of non-implementation of UN decisions by Belarus and Russia raised at its 23rd session

On 5 June as a part of the 23rd session of the UN Human Rights Council the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) with the support of Human Rights Watch conducted a briefing on the non-fulfillment of UN resolutions by Belarus and Russia.

05.06.2013 Slonim: more than 800 signatures collected in support of medic Ivan Sheha

Civic activists are actively collecting signatures in favor of letting the Slonim trauma surgeon Ivan Sheha continue his work. At present they have more than 800 signatures, but plan to collect much more.

05.06.2013 Minsk police detain girl for hanging newspaper "Nash Dom"

The detention was carried out at about 3.30 p.m. on 5 June. As stated by the editor of "Vitsebski Kur'yer" Aleh Barshcheuski, Natallia Liavonava was detained for handing out the newspaper "Nash Dom".

05.06.2013 Orsha: inaction of authorities puts people's lives in danger

Danger to the lives of citizens of Orsha doesn't seem to worry the local officials too much. Such a conclusion can be drawn from the correspondence of the Orsha activists of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy with the traffic police, Ministry of Emergency Situations and bus fleet over the emergency state of a bridge.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs is asked about publication of the decision of the UN Committee on Elimination of Discrimination against Women

05.06.2013 Ministry of Foreign Affairs is asked about publication of the decision of the UN Committee on Elimination of Discrimination against Women

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus is asked to tell where a decision of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women was published.

05.06.2013 Baranavichy: prosecutor's office turns into post office

Civic activist Viktar Syrytsa received a letter signed by the head of the police department of the Baranavichy Executive Committee V. Herasimovich. There it is stated that his complaint against the refusal of an officer of the police department, major Piatro Kulhavik, to sign a contract for guarding the 25 May picket, was concidered, but no "violations of discipline and the legal order order were found in the actions of officers of the Baranavichy City Police Department."

05.06.2013 Homel: court rejects lawsuit of human rights defender concerning exaction of moral damages from state budget

On 4 June the Tsentralny District Court of Homel in the name of judge Maryna Damnenka considered the civil case of human rights activist Leanid Sudalenka. The human rights defender filed a lawsuit against the Treasury to get a compensation for moral damage, which he estimates as equal to an MP's salary for four years at office.