The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for June 2014

18.06.2014 OSCE representative calls on Belarusian authorities to repeal accreditation requirements for journalists

OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today expressed her concern about an increasing number of penalties imposed on journalists in recent months in Belarus for not being accredited by authorities.

18.06.2014 Police detain Tell the Truth activist in Babruisk

Yanina Ausianik, an activist of the “Tell the Truth” campaign, was detained last evening in Babruisk while collecting signatures for an initiative called “People’s Referendum”. She was then taken to the police station.

17.06.2014 Live to see The Last Dawn: Audio and video presentation!

Aposhni Zolak (“The Last Dawn”) continues the traditions of such musical projects as “Narodnya Albom” ("The People's album ") “Ya Naradziuskia Tut” ("I Was Born Here") and “Sviaty Vechar” ("Holy Night"). However, the project is devoted to a very sensitive and vital issue – the death penalty.

17.06.2014 BHC petitions Constitutional Court to address discrimination of Belarusian language

The Belarusian Helsinki Committee and the well-known lawyer and human rights defender Hary Pahaniayla sent a petition to the Constitutional Court to highlight the flaws of language-related legislation, which result in the discrimination of one of the official languages, Belarusian.

17.06.2014 Prominent human rights defender Barys Zvozskau remembered two years after death

The second anniversary of the premature death of the well-known Belarusian human rights activist Barys Zvozskau is marked today, June 17. Barys Zvozskau would have turned 63 years, the age is not critical, but the disease does not choose.

17.06.2014 Political prisoner Lobau meets with his mother in correctional facility

Maryna Lobava returned after a long-term visit to her son. She said it to charter97.org.

17.06.2014 Homel human rights defender initiates prosecutor’s probe over language discrimination

Anatol Paplauny, a human rights activist from Homel, asks prosecutor Siarhei Zaitsau Gomel to inspect a local building center named “OMA”, where his complaint in the Belarusian language received a written answer in Russian. The store manager Natallia Urubleuskaya argues that “business correspondence and legal documents should be sent to the population in Russian”.

17.06.2014 Journalist Andrei Mialeshka fined 4.5 mln

On June 16, Andrei Mialeshka, a journalist from Hrodna, was convicted of illegal manufacture of media products. This is the third similar lawsuit in the region, says the press service of the Belarusian Association of Journalists.

17.06.2014 Hundreds of people held in activity therapy center in Babruisk

The Babruisk-based police station No. 2 has hosted hearings to consider the cases of local residents charged with alcohol abuse, the newspaper Vecherniy Bobruisk said. Judge Alena Yarmashevich heard 15 cases and sent all of the defendants to activity therapy centers (medical labor dispensaries, LTPs) for compulsory treatment.

16.06.2014 Situation of Human Rights in Belarus in May 2014

In May, the consistently poor situation of human rights was exacerbated by the mass arbitrary detentions and arrests of activists of various civil society and political groups and movements, which were carried out before and during the World Ice Hockey Championship (held in Minsk from 9 to 25 May).

Former Parliament Speaker Mechyslau Hryb: 13 people were convicted and one executed for crimes committed by maniac Mikhasevich (video)

16.06.2014 Former Parliament Speaker Mechyslau Hryb: 13 people were convicted and one executed for crimes committed by maniac Mikhasevich (video)

During the filming of “Cause of Death – “, activists of the campaign “Human Rights Defenders against the Death Penalty” met with public and political figure, Honored Lawyer of Belarus Mechyslau Hryb.

16.06.2014 Trade union activist unable to protect rights in court

On June 13, a court in Babruisk considered the lawsuit of a member of the Free Trade Union of Belarus, former employee of the TDiA plant (tractor parts and units), Viktar Osipau, whose employment contract was terminated on April 30. Despite petitions from the activist’s supervisor and his colleagues, Viktar Osipau has lost his job.

16.06.2014 Young Front activist searched at border

Ivan Shyla, an activist of the Young Front youth opposition movement, was detained for a search when crossing the Belarusian-Polish border on the night of June 12. As a result, the customs inspection lasted for two and a half hours.

13.06.2014 Belarusian citizens seek protection of Russian psychiatrists

Over the past two months, two Belarusian citizens sought help of the Independent Psychiatric Association of Russia (IPAR). DW figured out what Belarusians want to protect themselves from.

The authors of individual communication filed to the UN Human Rights Committee on behalf of Ales Bialiatski, addressed the Human Rights Committee with an open letter

13.06.2014 The authors of individual communication filed to the UN Human Rights Committee on behalf of Ales Bialiatski, addressed the Human Rights Committee with an open letter

Authors of individual communication submitted to the UN Human Rights Committee on behalf of Ales Bialiatski, President of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" and Vice-President of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), addressed the Human Rights Committee with an open letter. Antoine Bernard, Director-General of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), and Natallia Pinchuk, the wife of the political prisoner Ales Bialiatski, urge the Committee to speed up consideration of the communication that was filed two years ago.