The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for November 2014

17.11.2014 Situation of Human Rights in Belarus in October 2014

The human rights situation in Belarus in October remained consistently bad, preserving the systemic and systematic nature of abuses. The growth of the practice of arbitrary detention and sentencing to administrative arrests required a separate emphasis from human rights defenders.

16.11.2014 UN Human Rights Committee admits violation of Vasil Yuzepchuk's right to life by Belarus

The case of the resident of the Drahichyn district Vasil Yuzepchuk was considered by the United Nations Human Rights Committee in October 2014. The Committee admitted violation of paragraph 3 of Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as Yuzepchuk was not brought before a judge promptly to address the issue of his arrest.

16.11.2014 Activists of Union of Poles summoned for questioning

The State Control Committee summons activists of the Union of Poles of Belarus for questioning to receive information about the organisation's financial sources.

16.11.2014 Brest region expresses solidarity with political prisoners (Photo)

Four cities of Brest region - Brest, Biaroza, Zhabinka, Kobryn held acts of solidarity with political prisoners on November 16.

16.11.2014 United Nations Human Rights Committee is to consider the periodic report of Belarus in July 2015

Consideration of the periodic report of Belarus in the United Nations Human Rights Committee rescheduled from the 113 session (March 2015) to the 114th session that is to be held in July 2015. Information about this appeared on the website of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

14.11.2014 Participants of commemoration of rebels in Svislach are summonsed to police

On November 13, the head of Hrodna regional branch of the United Civil Party Aliaksandra Vasilevich received a telephone call from a police inspector, who invited her to come for giving explanations.

14.11.2014 Human Rights House Foundation: End suppression of civil society in Azerbaijan!

As the Chairmanship of the Council of Europe by Azerbaijan takes an end, 46 NGOs from 10 Human Rights Houses call upon authorities in Azerbaijan to put an end to the unprecedented repression against civil society and to immediately and unconditionally release all civil society actors currently detained due to their engagement for human rights and for raising critics against Azerbaijan’s authorities.

14.11.2014 Yury Belenki to stand trial for Dziady rally

Pershamaiski District Court in Minsk will hear an administrative case against the deputy head of the Conservative Christian Party BPF.

14.11.2014 Journalist of TVP summoned to the police office in Slonim

Ales Zaleuski, the employee of the Polish public television TVP, was summoned to the police office; nevertheless he got the notification after the event.

13.11.2014 Brest: coordinator of Belarusian Christian Democracy gets warned for activities on behalf of unregistered party

The official warning signed by the deputy prosecutor of the Brest region Aliaksandr Tachko, was issued to the local coordinator of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Aliaksandr Khrapko.

13.11.2014 Reasoning part of verdict to Aliaksandr Burakou gets “lost” while being mailed

Despite the fact that the court officers assert they had sent it by mail, Mr. Burakou hasn't received it.

13.11.2014 Vitsebsk overground passage is not designed for handicapped

The overground passage, the first one in Vitsebsk, was supposedly built for convenience of citizens. Pedestrians are proposed to cross Maskouski Avenue in the suburb of Bileva above the carriage way, by going upstairs to the height of some 2-3 floors.

13.11.2014 Vitsebsk activists ask authorities to determine whose remains are discovered in the wood near Vitsebsk (photo report)

Vitsebsk activists of the Conservative Christian Party Belarusian Popular Front filed a statement to the prosecutor, the investigating committee and the police to initiate an examination with the aim to determine whose remains have been lying for several decades in the forest near the village of Khaisy in the Vitsebsk region. According to local residents, in 1937-38. Stalin's executions took place here.

13.11.2014 Proceedings for liquidation of “Memorial” postponed to December 17

Today the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation Ministry of Justice has postponed consideration of the claim on the elimination of the "Memorial" to 17 December.

13.11.2014 Homel Regional Court dismisses appeal of human rights activist Uladzimir Tseliapun

November 11, the panel of judges of the Homel Regional Court considered the appeal of the human rights activist against the verdict of the Mozyr District Court concerning the picket ban, issued to him.