The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for March 2014

13.03.2014 Baranavichy: candidate continues struggling for publication of his pre-electoral program

Mikalai Charnavus, a candidate for the Brest Regional Council in Western constituency No. 21 in Baranavichy, continues to fight for the printing of his election program. He applied to the editor of the state-run newspaper “Nash Krai” stating that he had introduced some changes in the program and asked to publish the new version.

13.03.2014 Navapolattsk activists apply for picketing on Freedom Day

In Navapolatsk, representatives of political parties and democratic civil society organizations filed an application for a picket on Freedom Day, March 25.

13.03.2014 Statement of Belarusian Association of Journalists on violence against journalists in the Crimea

Pressure on journalists has increased ahead of the March 16 referendum in the Crimea. Every day information appears on detentions and attacks against our colleagues.

13.03.2014 Chair of Mikashevichy City Executive Committee uses physical violence against candidate

Candidate for the Mikashevich City Council Leanid Dubanosau paid a visit to the director of the local House of Culture "Granite" to agree on the time of his electoral meeting there, scheduled for March 16. Despite the fact that the House of Culture was determined as a place for such meetings by the city executive committee, the director said that she could not take such decision on her own.

13.03.2014 Brest: court punishes participants of electoral picket with fines

Leader of the Brest regional UCP branch Uladzimir Vuyek was fined 25 basic units, and activists of the party Dyiana Kastsiukovich and Yury Zhydovich – 10 basic units each.

13.03.2014 Babruisk authorities want to punish two people for picket of solidarity with Ukraine

On March 6 evening, a picket against the outbreak of war in Ukraine was held by two local activists. One of them, activist of the local branch of the Independent Trade Union of Radio Electronic Industry Halina Smirnova, was caught by a policeman near her home, but was not detained.

13.03.2014 Kalinkavichy: new proceedings started against UCP activist Dzianis Rabianok

March 12, activist of the United Civil Party Dzianis Rabianok learned that new court proceedings had been started against him on a civil lawsuit of his neighbor, who demands that the activist pay him 10 million rubles as compensation for moral damages and lawyer's services. According to the writ handed to Mr. Rabianok, the hearings start on March 21.

13.03.2014 Shklou District Election Commission deceives Ryhor Kastusiou

Skhlou district newspaper "Udarny Front" for March 12 failed to publish the information on the criminal records of candidates for deputies of the Shklou District Council.

13.03.2014 State intends to tighten control over barristers

March 15, 2014 a pre-election report conference of members of the Minsk City Bar Association will take place in Minsk. Its agenda includes amendments and supplements to the Charter of Bar Association (concerning the disciplinary committee) and the Regulation on Disciplinary Commission. There are reasons to believe that the adoption of these amendments and supplements will make lawyers more dependent on the state. The barristers are offered to limit the frames of their legal activities with their own hands.

12.03.2014 Residents of Vialikaya Mashchanitsa struggle for secondary school

March, 11, residents of the agrotown of Vialikaya Mashchanitsa (Bialynichy district of the Mahiliou region) filed a collective appeal to the head of the department of education of the Mahiliou Regional Executive Committee. In this address the residents of the agrotown require the Department of Education to keep the secondary school in Maschanitsa, which the authorities are going to turn into a basic school (educating schoolchildren for 9 years instead of 11) without any public discussion.

12.03.2014 Innocent man walks free after 29 years on death row

A man who has spent three decades on death row has walked free after a US judge set aside his conviction.

12.03.2014 Liubou Kavaliova: Decision of the Human Rights Committee of the UN concerning the violations in the case of my son must become a reference book for all judges

March 12, mother of Uladzislau Kavaliou, executed by shooting on the verdict of teh Supreme Court, paid a visit to the Chairman of the Vitsebsk Regional Court Mikalai Khamichenka Hamichenka. He did not allow her to distribute brochures with the decision of the UN HRC decision and threatened that such actions would be regarded as illegal picketing.

12.03.2014 Opposition candidate unable to overcome censorship of his campaigning materials by printing house

Vitsebsk independent candidate Aliaksei Haurutsikau cannot exercise his right to print campaign materials in the state-owned newspaper isued in the town of Dubrouna, due to the refusal of its chief editor. The Central Election Commission supported the position of the editor.

12.03.2014 Relatives of Uladzislau Kavaliou address Prosecutor General

Liubou Kavaliova, mother of Uladzislau Kavaliou, one of the two people executed by shooting two years ago on charges of committing a terrorist act in the Minsk metro, and his sister Tatsiana Kaziar have filed an appeal to Prosecutor General of Belarus Aliaksandr Kaniuk demanding that the investigation into the case to be re-opened due to new circumstances, with the subsequent rehabilitation of the convict.

12.03.2014 Homel activists get jailed for solidarity with Ukraine

The Homel activists Zmitser Karashkou and Stanislau Bula who had been detained near the embassy of Russia in Minsk were sentenced to 15 and 11 days in custody respectively.