The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for October 2014

03.10.2014 Andrei Paluda: “Just think for a moment, how does the killing of a killer take place?!”

In Belarus, the Week against the Death Penalty is held for the second year already. The main message of this year's Week is "Death penalty is murder". The week against the death penalty will be accompanied by very expressive images of the performers of the death penalty and the victim.

03.10.2014 Activist of Belarusian Christian Democracy detained in Asipovichy

As reported by the press-service of the Belarusian Christian Democracy, a member of its organizing committee Aleh Masalski was detained while walking on the street in a T-shirt with a portrait of the political prisoner Yauhen Vaskovich. When his wife went away to a booth, he was detained by a police patrol which was driving by at the time.

03.10.2014 Pavel Vinahradau to be tried again

Another administrative case has been brought against the “Zmena” activist Pavel Vinahradau. Today it will be considered by the Maskouski District Court of Minsk.

02.10.2014 Supreme Court upholds registration denial to “Covenant”

The Supreme Court upheld the legality and validity of the position of the Ministry of Justice, which refused to register the national human rights NGO "Movement for the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights" ("Covenant").

02.10.2014 Bahrain: recently released political prisoner Nabeel Rajab arrested again

As reported by the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, Nabeel Rajab, President of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR), Director of the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) and FIDH Deputy Secretary General has been arrrested and faces up to three years of imprisonment for tweets allegedly insulting the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

02.10.2014 Donbass refugees started getting less aid during “ceasefire”

With the approach of winter the volunteers who assist displaced persons from Donbass are getting more concerns. People were leaving their native towns in the summer, so many of them don't have clothes and footwear for the cold season. This was reported to RFE/RL by a representative of the initiative “Vostok-SOS” Konstyantyn Reutsky.

02.10.2014 Ivan Shyla serving 2 day arrest for 2011 “silent protests”

On the morning of October 2, Salihorsk “Young Front” activist Ivan Shyla paid a visit to the Salihorsk District Police Department, to which he was summoned for a “talk”. After the “talk” he was taken to the detention center. This is reported by the local human rights defender Leanid Markhotka, who visited the police department as Shyla's representative.

02.10.2014 Trial of Andrei Mialeshka to continue October 7

October 2, HrodnaDistrict Court started the trial of the administrative case against a freelance journalist Andrei Mialeshka. He is accused of illegally producing and distributing information production, which is penalized by Article 22.9 of the Code of Administrative Offenses.

02.10.2014 Investigator Skavarodkin admits that Piatro Kuchura was tortured

Piatro Kuchura, who was tortured in Mahiliou penal colony No. 15, obtained copies of two resolutions on the appointment of a forensic medical examination to establish the consequences of poisoning him with chlorine.

01.10.2014 Presentation of “Who Needs Death Penalty” to take place October 9

The book was issued within the framework of the project for abolishment of the death penalty “Because We Are People!”, implemented by the international organization Penal Reform International and a number of Belarusian NGOs with the assistance of the European Union.

01.10.2014 Anzhalika Borys: this was political order

The leadership of the oppositional Union of Poles in Belarus states about politically motivated harassment.

01.10.2014 Third edition of “Gray Book” issued in Vitsebsk region

The third volume of the yearly chronicle of human rights violations in the Vitsebsk region “Gray Book” has been published. The volume of the book is 140 pages, it covers the period since July 2013 until June 2014.

01.10.2014 Policeman to 12-year-old girl: “You are guilty, as you demand a lawyer”

As it is stated in a complaint to the Office of Prosecutor General, filed by the mother of a 12-year-old Brest resident, a policeman from Maskouski district police department in Brest Yauhen Bury exceeded his powers at work.

01.10.2014 Babruisk activists who took part in hunger strike of protest, dismissed

Two members of the Free Trade Union of Belarus from Babrujsk tractor parts and aggregates plant, maintenance persons Aliaksandr Varankin and Aliaksandr Hramyka, have been fired.

01.10.2014 Human rights activists announce a Week Against the Death Penalty in Belarus

Various human rights activities will be held from 5 to 10 October under the slogan "The death penalty is murder". The events will be attended by honorary foreign visitors, ambassadors, famous creative people, relatives of executed convicts shot and sentenced to death, advocates and activists of the abolitionist movement in Belarus.