The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for October 2014

07.10.2014 Journalist Andrei Mialeshka gets second fine for work without accreditation

October 7, the Hrodna District Court fined Andrei Mialeshka about 500$ for violating art. 22.9, part 2 of the Administrative Code (illegal production and distribution of mass media products).

07.10.2014 Police disrupt gathering dedicated to Illia Dabratvor's release

Illia Dabratvor was released after 20 days of administrative arrest.

07.10.2014 Drunk man shot dead by police in Orsha

He is the second person who was shot dead by the police in the last week.

07.10.2014 Mother of victim of miscarriage of justice: “Thanks God I didn't give in to the sense of revenge”

Having lost her only son, who was executed innocent, she became the mother of all death row prisoners in Uzbekistan. Having achieved the abolition of the death penalty in the country, she is fighting for its abolition primarily in Belarus. Tamara Chikunova is a guest of honor of the Belarusian Week Against the Death Penalty and one of the heroines of the photo project "Capital Punishment", which tells the story of a mother of death row convict.

07.10.2014 Invitation to photo exhibition “Capital Punishment”

The joint protect of the photojournalist Siarhei Balai and the campaign "Human Rights Defenders Against Death penalty in Belarus" will be presented on October 7 at the gallery "Goliaths" (Valhahradskaya Street, 4a, metro station “Maskouskaya”). The event will begin at 6 p.m.

07.10.2014 Week Against Death Penalty: News from Belarusian regions

Human rights activities within the framework of the Week Against the Death Penalty in Belarus are held in Belarus on October 5-10 under the slogan "Death Penalty Is Murder".

07.10.2014 Week Against Death Penalty opens with poster exhibition

October 5, the Week against the Death Penalty started in Minsk. It was opened with an exhibition of posters dedicated to this issue. The majority of them belong to a project of the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, “Death Is Not Justice”. The logical centre of the exhibition was formed by a series of works “Six Arguments Against the Death Penalty”, created by a Belarusian artist from Vilnius, Siarhei Ablazhei.

06.10.2014 Yury Rubtsou sentenced to 18 months of personal restraint

Today, October 6, socio-political activist Yury Rubtsou has been sentenced to 2.5 years of personal restraint. However, the sentence has been reduced to 1.5 years due to the amnesty. Therefore, the defendant will have to serve 1.5 years of personal restraint.

06.10.2014 Ex-political prisoner Aliaksandr Frantskevich is blocked at home

Since 6 a.m., police have been trying to get to the Minsk apartment where the former political prisoner Aliaksandr Frantskevich lives. The reasons remain unknown.

06.10.2014 Eduard Lobau doesn't receive warm clothes in prison

The political prisoner continues to wear summer clothes, thought the weather became significantly colder.

05.10.2014 Uladzimir Lemesh about conditions in Salihorsk detention center: 3 mattresses per 15 people

An activist of the "European Belarus" Uladzimir Lemesh spent last weekend in Salihorsk detention center. The activist called the conditions of detention there inhuman and degrading and intends to file a complaint about this.

05.10.2014 Baranavichy: Statkevich-senior congratulated on Teacher's Day

October 3, Baranavichy social and human rights activists visited and congratulated Viktar Statkevich (father of the political prisoner Mikalai Statkevich) who worked for 35 years as a history teacher, on his professional holiday. Despite poor health, Statkevich -senior hospitably and friendly received the visitors in his apartment.

05.10.2014 Aleh Ablazhei: It is difficult to convey death penalty by artistic allegories

October 5, an exhibition of a well-known Belarusian artist from Vilnius Aleh Ablazhey opens in Minsk as a part of the Week Against the Death Penalty.

05.10.2014 Week against Death Penalty to start with poster exhibition

October 5, an exhibition of posters dedicated to the problem of the death penalty opens in Minsk. The visitors will be showed a series of short films "Six Arguments against Death Penalty", specially created by the Belarusian artist from Vilnius Aleh Ablazhei, and worksfrom the large-scale project Death Is Not Justice, submitted to the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty.