The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for July 2014

16.07.2014 Slonim authorities ban anti-alcohol picket

Ivan Bedka, a member of the Belarusian Christian Democracy’s Slonim branch, applied for holding a picket asking for official permission of the Slonim District Executive Committee. The picket was supposed to attract public attention to the problems of excessive use of alcohol and tobacco in Slonim.

16.07.2014 Amnesty International Netherlands: ‘Overjoyed’ by Ales Bialiatski’s release, will continue struggling for Mikalai Statkevich and Eduard Lobau (photo)

Ales Bialiatski, head of the Human Rights Center “Viasna”, has received a letter from the Dutch branch of Amnesty International, who organized a bright campaign in support of the Belarusian human rights defender during his imprisonment.

15.07.2014 Brest authorities ban series of pickets for unity and independence of Ukraine

Brest activists of the regional organization of the United Civil Party were denied holding five pickets, aimed at promoting the values of state sovereignty and independence and the expression of solidarity with the Ukrainian people in their aspirations to preserve the integrity and independence of Ukraine.

15.07.2014 Aliaksandr Hrunou visited bylawyer on death row

Human rights defenders continue to monitor the situation of the Homel resident Aliaksandr Hrunou, sentenced to death. Since the Supreme Court Chairman, Valiantsin Sukala personally dismissed the review appeal of his lawyer, the death sentence can be implemented at any time.

15.07.2014 Mazyr: human rights activist intends to hold picket in support of political prisoners

Human rights defender Uladzimir Malei applied to the Mazyr District Executive Committee to hold a picket in support of political prisoners on August 3.

15.07.2014 Authorities ignore appeal of civil society activist from Khotsimsk

Valery Karankevich has not yet received a response to his complaint to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Belarus, although he filed it more than 1.5 months ago. since its direction has been more than a month.

Office of Prosecutor General and Minsk Regional Executive Committee ignore application of Salihorsk activist of United Civil Party

15.07.2014 Office of Prosecutor General and Minsk Regional Executive Committee ignore application of Salihorsk activist of United Civil Party

Back in late February Salihorsk member of the United Civil Party Viktor Malochka appealed to the Prosecutor General of Belarus askin him to check the legality of the allocation of land for construction of so-called "multi-function pharmacies" However, his request was ignored.

15.07.2014 Discussion on use of death penalty in Belarus held in Vilnius

The death penalty is irreversible, the miscarriage of justice in the case of the death penalty can not be corrected. This was told to the students of the human rights school in Vilnius by Tamara Chikunova - well-known human rights activist, founder of the organization "Mothers Against the Death Penalty and Torture."

15.07.2014 Homel factory on strike

Workers of the factory “8 March” demand to raise wages.

15.07.2014 Human rights in Belarus in June 2014

In June, the systemic and systematic nature of human rights violations was preserved. Opportunities of exercising civil and political, social and economic rights guaranteed by the Constitution and international standards were still extremely limited in their essence. Dissidents were subjected to pressure, intimidation and harassment.

14.07.2014 Baranavichy: Mikalai Charnavus is not returned his disability certificate for more than ten days already

Civil society activist Mikalai Charnavus has been trying to get the police return him the disability certificate of the II-nd group, seized by police major Aliaksei Hetsman July 2, in the process of drawing up a violation report under Part 3 of Article 23.34 of the Code of Administrative Offences.

14.07.2014 Recently released human rights activist Ales Bialiatski concludes European tour in Warsaw

WARSAW, July 14, 2014 | Belarusian human rights activist, Ales Bialiatski, visited Warsaw from July 9 to 12 - the final stop in a European tour that has taken him to Vilnius, Brussels, Strasbourg and Paris since his unexpected release under an amnesty on June 21. Bialiatski had served three years of a 4.5 year sentence on trumped-up charges of tax evasion.

14.07.2014 Shocking photographic evidence of Svetlahorsk police crime

Until now, the Human Rights Center "Viasna" haven't published photos taken by the mother of Aliaksandr Akulich, deceased in the temporary detention center of the Svetlahorsk District Police Department. The Court finally refused to open a criminal case on the fact of his death, claiming that numerous traces of beatings on the body of the deceased "had no causal connection with the death".

14.07.2014 Court releases human rights activist from forced psychiatric treatment

As it became known, at the end of May Judge of the Kastrychnitski District Court of Vitsebsk Tatsiana Zhuraukova ordered the cessation of compulsory measures of security and treatment in respect of Vitsebsk human rights activist Valery Misnikau. It took the activist more than six years to achieve this verdict.

14.07.2014 Salihorsk: Belarusian Language Society continues struggling for observance of law "On Geographic Names"

Salihorsk city organization of the "Belarusian Language Society" has filed a second appeal to the State Property Committee demanding to bring the names of signs on the buildings of Salihorsk in line with the Law "On the names of geographical objects."