The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for October 2013

06.10.2013 Another trial for banned picket to take place in Vitsebsk on 9 October

Vitsebsk regional coordinator of the Movement “For Freedom” Khrystafor Zhaliaoau and a representative of the organizing committee of the party “Narodmaya Hramada”, Aliaksei Haurutsikau, filed an appeal against the ban of the picket they intended to hold on 8 September. They also intend to receive the permission to hold their action at another time.

06.10.2013 Doesn't the lawyer ofthe Biaroza District Executive Committee watch changes in the legislation?

Biaroza human rights defenders are unable to enter into a contract for the serving of their picket on 10 October by the Biaroza District Police Department.

06.10.2013 Mahiliou MPs awake only after appeals to the Parliament and the prosecutor's office

The members of the House of Representatives Aliaksandr Razganau and Eduard Siankevich submitted their answers to the collecctive appeals of the Mahiliou citizens concerning the initiation of hte Law “On Public Hearings” by the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada) only in 3.5 months.

06.10.2013 “The death penalty: a way to the past” (video)

The new video, dedicated to the topic of the death penalty in Belarus, was created as part of the campaign "Human Rights Defenders against the Death Penalty". Its presentation at youtube is dated to the World Day against the Death Penalty, which is celebrated on 10 October in most countries of the world.

06.10.2013 Belarusians express their opinions about the death penalty

Last week, a discussion was held in Minsk for the participants of the educational program “Pcholka” ("Bee") on the subject of the death penalty in Belarus. The event was attended by representatives of the campaign "Human Rights Defenders against the Death Penalty" – Andrei Paluda and Valiantsin Stefanovich.

06.10.2013 Alena Laptsionak: the death penalty is the murder on behalf of the state

Human rights activists announce a "Week against the death penalty". The culmination of the week will be 10 October, the World Day against the Death Penalty. On that day a press-conference with the relatives of death convicts, and some other events will take place. Belarus is the only country in Europe where the death penalty is still used. A member of the Human Rights Center “Viasn” Alena Laptsionak paid a visit to our studio.

05.10.2013 “Last Dawn” rock concert held in Bialystok

In the evening on 5 October Bialystok hosted a rock concert "Last Dawn" , an online broadcast joined by viewers from around the world . The participants of the musical project advocate discontinuing the practice of the death penalty in Belarus.

05.10.2013 “Viasna” presents a special web-page about the death penalty

At present the Human Rights Center "Viasna " offers its readers a separate web page with the latest news and archival information gathered as a part of the campaign "Human Rights Defenders against the death penalty in Belarus": dp.spring96.org.

05.10.2013 Hrodna human rights defenders continue struggling for their constitutional rights

Hrodna human rights defenders Uladzimir Khilmanovich, Raman Yurhel and Viktar Sazonau filed an appeal against a verdict of the Leninski District Court of Hrodna to the Hrodna Regional Court. On 23 September Judge of the Leninski District Court of Hrodna Zhana Krauchanka considered their appeal against the decision of the Hrodna City Executive Committee to prohibit the picket in support of the political prisoner Ales Bialiatski on 4 August and upheld the actions of the authorities.

05.10.2013 Court lifts preventive supervision from Uladzimir Yaromenak

On 1 October preventive supervision was lifted from a former political prisoner, participant of the post-election protests of 19 December 2010, “Young Front” activist Uladzimir Yaromenak. The activist was informed by it by the Pershamaiski District penitentiary inspection of Minsk.

05.10.2013 Baranavichy City Executive Committee bans a picket in honor of the International Day for Decent Work

Baranavichy CEC banned the picket for the International Day for Decent Work. This became known from a letter signed by the deputy head of the executive committee, Dz. Kastsiukevich, received by an activist of the Baranavichy city unit of the Trade Union of Radio Electronic Industry Ryhor Hryk.

04.10.2013 Viktar Ivashkevich died

The well-known political activist Viktar Ivashkevich was born on 21 September 1959 in Minsk.

04.10.2013 Letters stop coming from Mikalai Autukhovich

As said by several adherents of the party “Belarusian Christian Democracy” to its press-secretary, Dzianis Sadouski, they have ceased to receive letters from the political prisoner, noting the absence of letters from him and his failure to answer several letters, which has never happened before.

04.10.2013 Mahiliou police interfere with the distribution of the bulletin “Social-democrat”

On 4 October an activist of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada) Ales Serdziukou, who handed out the party bulletin, was forcibly led out of the market of car details located on the Homel highway.

04.10.2013 Pinsk Jewish society outraged at the acts of vandalism in the city

In the past few days in Pinsk a memorial sign in the place of a ghetto of the World War II, was desecrated, and a swastika was pained on the building of the Jewish educational center.