The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for December 2013

16.12.2013 Mahiliou prison administration says destruction of letters is legitimate

An activist of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party “Hramada”, Leanid Haravy, received a response from head of the Mahiliou-based prison. He demanded an explanation why his letter did not reach political prisoner Mikalai Statkevich.

16.12.2013 Salihorsk human rights defenders analyze gender equality among executive officials

Salihorsk activists of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee analyzed the composition of local district executive committee for its compliance with the principle of gender equality and voiced their comments and suggestions.

16.12.2013 Bykhau district still lacks venues for public events

Chairman of the Bykhau regional branch of the BPF Party, writer Siarhei Antonau, received on December 14 a response to his appeal sent to the district executive committee’s chairman Dzmitry Kaleyeu to request to select places for staging pickets in the town.

16.12.2013 Brest human rights defender proposes to eliminate contradictions of legal acts

Uladzimir Vialichkin, a human rights activist from the city of Brest, visited deputy chairman of the city executive committee, Henadz Barysiuk, and filed a statement to propose to eliminate the contradictions that exist in the authorities’ decision on the procedures for holding public events, as its requirement to enter into an agreement with the police is contrary to a decree of the Council of Ministers.

14.12.2013 Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in November 2013

In November, the Belarusian authorities demonstrated the reluctance to soften their position in the field of human rights in the country, first of all – to change the attitude to the problem of political prisoners, including on the basis of the foreign policy factor. The expectations of some experts that on the eve of the summit of the Eastern Partnership the Belarusian authorities will make concessions to the requirements of the European Union, which had consistently reminded about the necessity release of political prisoners as a basic precondition for cooperation with Belarus, didn't come true.

13.12.2013 Bialynichy District Court turns down Valery Vusik's lawsuit

On 12 December the Bialynichy District Court considered the lawsuit of the social activist Valery Vysik against the Ministry of Finances of the Republic of Belarus and the Bialynichy District Police Department seeking the reimbursement of the state fees and the cost of the lawyer's services in his administrative case.

13.12.2013 Brest authorities ban “Tuzin.Nemaulia” concert

After weeks of negotiations, the deputy head of the Brest City Executive Committee Henadz Barysiuk and the head of its ideological department, Ala Starykevich, banned ta concert of the project “Tuzin.Nemaulia”.

13.12.2013 House of Representatives will not apply to the Constitutional Court concerning discrimination of Belarusian-speaking citizens

At the end of November, human rights activist Valiantsin Stefanovich applied to the Constitutional Court to determine the compatibility of Article 7 of the Law “On Languages” and Article 54 of the Law “On Normative Legal Acts” with the Constitution. He also applied to the Chamber of Representatives, the Council of the Republic, the Supreme Court, the Supreme Economic Court, the Council of Ministers and the President – all those who have the right to submit inquiries to the Constitutional Court on the conformity of laws with the Constitution.

13.12.2013 Mikalai Ulasevich filed an application for a picket in support of Ukrainian protesters

Activist from the village of Varniany Mikalai Ulasevich has applied to the Astravets District executive Committee, asking to let him hold a picket in Astravets. By this action Mr. Ulasevich intends to express his solidarity with the Ukrainian people in its aspiration to live in the European Union.

13.12.2013 Hrodna Regional Court turns down Ales Masiuk's appeal

On 11 December Hrodna Regional Court turned down the appeal of the social activist Ales Masiuk against a verdict of Slonim District Court. In September 2013, Mr. Masiuk applied to Slonim District Executive Committee asking to authorize a picket, which he intended to hold on 29 Septemmber to defend the right of citizens to subscribe to the independent newspaper “Hazeta Slonimskay

13.12.2013 Illia Dabratvor got fined

On 12 December Viktoryia Shabunia, Judge of the Tsentralny District Court of Minsk, sentenced Illia Dabratvor, an activist of the socilidarity movement "Together" to pay a fine of 8 basic units for holding a picket of solidarity with Kyiv protesters near the Ukrainian Embassy in Minsk.

13.12.2013 'Human Rights in Belarus’: "We are still trying to support the people and the civil society in Belarus"

The Association ‘Human Rights in Belarus’ (Menschenrechte in Belarus) published its 2013 Strategy Paper on the situation in Belarus and recommendations for active measures to be taken by the European Union and its Member States.

12.12.2013 Bialynichy entrepreneurs ordered to pay for New Year decorations

Bialynichy entrepreneurs and private enterprises must buy the necessary materials for decorating the town for the New Year holidays. This week , the appropriate “recommendation” has been sent to private companies and individual entrepreneurs by the Bialy Town Executive Committee.

12.12.2013 Hearings on the case of Slutsk activist to continue on 19 December

The trial of the organizer of the screening of a documentary about Slutsk anti-Bolshevik uprizing Zinaida Tsimoshak will continue on 19 December. She is accused under Article 23.34 of the Administrative Code (organization of or participation in an unauthorized mass event).

12.12.2013 Minsk Gay Pride 2013. Currently not rainbow

In Minsk on December 6 started Minsk Gay Pride 2013, however, instead of rainbow news, information about events related to the Gay Pride is more like police reports.