The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for September 2014

10.09.2014 Police refuse to return Yury Rubtsou “item of clothing with political inscriptions”

Acting Chief of the Savetski District Police Department of Minsk, police colonel P. Siamizhen reported to Homel resident Yury Rybtsou that the "item of clothing that has an inscription of a political nature and had been seized by police”, was returned to him along with other things right after his release from the detention center in Minsk.

10.09.2014 Baranavichy: Statkevich-senior received an anonymous threat letter

September 8 Viktar Statkevich, father of the political prisoner Mikalai Statkevich, received an anonymous letter with threats to his son Mikalai and the son's wife, Maryna Statkevich.

09.09.2014 Baranavichy: human rights defender Siarhei Housh demands amendments to regulation on mass events

September 9, human rights activist Siarhei Housha filed a complaint to the Chairman of the Brest Regional Executive Committee against the decision of the Baranavichy City Executive Committee dated July 14, 2014, prohibiting picketing on 27 July.

08.09.2014 “The danger is that many civil society leaders may not return to Donetsk”

In his interview to the Human Rights Centre “Viasna” Serhiy Tkachenko, head of the Donetsk regional organization of the Committee of Voters of Ukraine, one of the most respected NGOs in the region, told how the civil field was cleared-up in the region, why separatism mastered the minds of the population and what steps should be taken by the civil society while returning the region to normal life.

08.09.2014 Ukraine: Mounting evidence of war crimes and Russian involvement

Ukrainian militia and separatist forces are responsible for war crimes, Amnesty International said today. The organisation accused Russia of fuelling separatist crimes as it revealed satellite images indicating a build-up of Russian armour and artillery in eastern Ukraine.

08.09.2014 Round table on death penalty held in Homel

On September 5, a round table "Because we are human beings: theory and practice in the discussions on the topic of the value of human life" was held in Homel.It was attended by human rights activists, lecturers of universities and representatives of the Interfaith Mission "Christian Social Service".

07.09.2014 Biaroza authorities ban 8 September picket

Biaroza human rights defenders and social activists were denied a picket on September 8. The stated purpose of the event was commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Orsha – Day of military glory, as well as an expression of protest against the deployment of Russian military bases on the territory of Belarus and the presence of political prisoners.

07.09.2014 Svetlahorsk: best teacher of 2014 fired for public activism

September 1, pupils of secondary school No. 10 in Svetlahorsk got bad news about dismissal of a teacher of history and social studies, Alena Masliukova. The teacher wasn't even given the opportunity to bring her 11th form up to graduation, where she was the class teacher.

05.09.2014 Serhiy Tkachenko: not to hold Parliamentary elections in Donetsk region is worse than to hold them

In early June, after the observation of the presidential election, all Donetsk regional branch of the All-Ukrainian public organization "Committee of Voters of Ukraine" was forced to leave the region through a real threat to the personal safety of employees.

05.09.2014 UHHRU appeal to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon

The entire world has witnessed the armed invasion by the Russian Federation of Ukrainian territory. At first, with the use of Russian Federation forces the Crimea was seized and annexed. In order to conceal this crime Russia used quasi-legal justification in the form of a referendum in the Crimea on March 16 2014, in breach of Ukraine’s Constitution.

05.09.2014 Zmitser Kramianetski is surprised at number of groundlessly arrested in detention centre

In the evening of 4 September, “Young Front” activist Zmitser Kramianetski was released from jail after serving arrest term.

05.09.2014 BCD activist tells details of his detention

In the evening on September 3 in Minsk, the police detained an activist of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Dzianis Laikou for collecting signatures in support of prohibition of the most odious Russian TV channels in Belarus and putting Ukrainian TV channels on the air.

05.09.2014 13 picket applications – 13 refusals

Activists of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy in the Hrodna region received 13 refusals to their 13 applications for information pickets in different cities.

05.09.2014 Policeman uses violence towards journalist while drawing up violation report

On March 3 Maryna Malchanava, independent journalist from Babruisk, came to the police department to get an administrative report for violating mass media legislation.

04.09.2014 Mahiliou: KGB pressurizes Ihar Barysau's family

Three days ago, KGB officers came to the factory “Chyrvony Metalist”, where Ihar's mother works. They asked what her son was doing and where he worked. They also asked the woman when her labor contract expired, and demanded that the director of the factory wrote a characteristic on her.