The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for December 2013

09.12.2013 Metropolitan Filaret: "The Church is making efforts to stop the execution of death verdicts"

The head of the Belarusian Orthodox Church responded to the applicatioon of Tamara Sialiun, whose son was sentenced to capital punishment. Metropolitan Filaret stressed that the Belarusian Orthodox Church opposes the death penalty in Belarus.

09.12.2013 Orsha authorities ban a picket against the destruction of a park

Orsha District Executive Committee banned a picket, initiated by the social activists YuryNahorny and Ales Shutau. They intended to hold the picket on 12 December to protect the park in the neighborhood "Charomushki" where trees are demolished to build another multi-stored house.

09.12.2013 Two pickets dated to Human Rights Day banned in Vitsebsk

The formal reason is usual, the absence of the contracts for serving the events. The activists tried to enter into the needed service agreements with the appropriate agencies two months before the planned action, but the city's polyclinic and the regional police department refused to do it.

09.12.2013 Andrei Tsianiuta gets fined

The co-chairman of the “Young Front” and a participant of the campaign "Stop Drinking – Start Living!” Andrei Tsianiuta received a “gratitude” and “reward” from the city authorities for distributing anti-alcohol information – he was fined 25 basic units by the Administrative Commission of the Savetski District of Homel.

09.12.2013 Long pause in mail correspondence with Ales Bialiatski

According to the wife of the human rights activist Ales Bialiatski, Natallia Pinchuk, she hasn't received any letters from him for more than two weeks, and is very worried with this fact. She refused to give any comments, saying she would wait a little longer.

09.12.2013 Civil activists detained on the Ukrainian border for 28 hours

On 7 December the activist of the civil campaign “Alternative” Dzmitry Silchanka was detained at the Ukrainian border. He was going to Kyiv by a route bus “Homel-Chernihiv” together with his friends in order to take part in the peaceful protest actions.

09.12.2013 Information for journalists

On International Human Rights Day, 10 December 2013, a presentation of the alternative report of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the Human Rights Center "Viasna” "Forced Labour and Pervasive Violations of Workers' Rights in Belarus" will take place in Minsk.

07.12.2013 Co-chairman of the “Young Front” Andrei Tsianiuta detained in Homel

In the morning of 7 December the co-chair of the "Young Front" Andrei Tsianyuta was detained at the railway station. He was meeting his friends from Minsk who were going to the concert of "Liapis Trubetskoy" in Kyiv.

07.12.2013 Baranavichy activists congratulate Ales Bialiatski on Human Rights Day

On 6 December Baranavichy human rights defenders and social activists sent color postcards to Ales Bialiatski, in which the human rights activist and political prisoner was congratulated on the 65th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

06.12.2013 Investigator ignores the demands of the prosecutor in the case concerning the death of a detainee in Svetlahorsk

Svetlahorsk district prosecutor Uladzimir Tarasenka agrees with the arguments of the human rights defenders of "Viasna" stated in the appeal against the refusal to open a criminal investigation into the death of Aliaksandr Akulich in the Svetlahorsk detention center, but the policemen A. Bachko and R. Stseshankou remain unpunished.

06.12.2013 Statement of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” and the Belarusian Helsinki Committee on the sentence to Vasil Parfiankou

The Human Rights Center "Viasna" and the republican NGO “Belarusian Helsinki Committeee” regard the sentencing of the public activist Vasil Parfiankou to imprisonment for violation of preventive supervision as politically motivated persecution.

06.12.2013 Photo exhibition “Pershapachatak” and exhibition dated to the 80th anniversary of the Union of Belarusian Writers get hastily closed

The State Historical Museum of Belarus hastily closed the exhibition of the Belarusian Union of Writers. The photo exhibition “Pershapachatak” (“Origin”) and an exhibition dated to the 80th anniversary of the Belarusian Union of Writers were presented on 27 November at the National History Museum, which was to have been opened until 8 December.

06.12.2013 Political prisoner Mikalai Dziadok taken to hospital

On 30 November the political Prisoner Mikalai Dziadok was taken to the republican prison hospital in Zhodzina from the Mahiliou prison due to stomach illness. This information was passed to the reporters by his wife, Valeryia Khotsina.

06.12.2013 Barysau human rights defenders congratulate the local authorities on the Human Rights Day

On 5 December Barysau human rights defenders Maryna Statkevich sent congratulations on the Universal Day of Human Rights to the Barysau City Executive Committee, Barysau District Court and Barysau City Police Department.

06.12.2013 No space for independent NGOs and opposition at city conference in Babruisk

The local media reported about the city conference, which, as it turned out, was held in late November and was attended by public associations, which presented their activities.