The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for February 2015

13.02.2015 Tsentralny DPD denies restricting access to ambulatory court hearings

February 11, Leanid Kulakou received a response from the Tsentralny District Police Department of Minsk to his entry in its complaint book.

13.02.2015 Journalist Viktar Parfionenka to continue litigation with MFA

The Leninski District Court of Minsk refused to consider the lawsuit of the Hrodna journalist Viktar Parfionenka against the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

12.02.2015 Situation of Human Rights in Belarus. January 2015.

There was a situation with the international factor, which is regarded as the most powerful in influencing the fate of political prisoners, beginning to lose its power. This was due both to the tense geopolitical situation in the region and the new role of Aliaksandr Lukashenka as a mediator in the talks on Ukrainian issues, as well as with the inconsistent position of the European Union.

12.02.2015 Yury Rubtsou faces new criminal case

February 11, Chairman of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" Ales Bialiatski and deputy chairmanValiantsin Stefanovich visited political prisoner Yury Rubtsou in the open correctional facility located in the village of Kuplin in Pruzhany district.

11.02.2015 Forensic experts getting more cautious in case of death in Svetlahorsk detention centre

Forensic expert committee did not once again "assume" that the detainee Aliaksandr Akulich could inflict himself numerous bodily injures, registered during the examination of the corpse.

11.02.2015 What is the purpose of State Department of Labour Inspection of Ministry of Labor and Social Security?

Dzmitry Kavalenkahas been struggling for receiving his wage from the company "Minski dom voknau" (“Minsk House of Windows”), where he had worked as a fitter for 3 years and 8 months, for five months already.

11.02.2015 Total sum of fines for participants of Memorial Day in Svislach is 38,250,000 roubles

Hrodna human rights defenders summed up the fines issued to participants of the memorial action in honour of the insurgents of 1863-1864, held in the town on October 26, 2014 in the town of Svislach and in the village of Yakushouka, where the mansion of the Kalinouskis (the organizers of the anti-Russian uprising) was situated.

11.02.2015 Civil society activists not admitted to session of Hrodna Regional Council

February 10, members of the civil initiative “Tell the Truth” didn't manage to get to a session of the Hrodna City Council. February 10, members of the civil initiative “Tell the Truth” didn't manage to get to a session of the Hrodna City Council.

11.02.2015 Yury Rubtsou: «May be, they want to isolate me»

February 9 Yury Rubtsou was summoned to the Pruzhany District Department of the Investigative Committee. The investigator compiled a document that the prisoner refused to give explanations.

10.02.2015 Publishing house “Lohvinau” not allowed to Minsk book fair

Minsk International Book Fair will be held 11 to 15 February in the pavilion "BelExpo". However, the publishing house which is most spoken about in Belarus today, will not be represented there.

10.02.2015 Yury Belenki to appeal actions of Leninski District Court of Minsk

Yury Belenki will appeal a ruling of the Leninski district court of Minsk. Judge Maryna Zapasnik informed the guardianship authorities about the need to monitor the situation of children in the family of the deputy chairman of the Conservative Christian Party of the Belarusian Popular Front.

10.02.2015 Homel police intend to charge Kanstantsin Zhukouski with false reporting

February 9, the social activist from Homel received a telephone call from the Chyhunachny District Police Department. He was proposed to come to the DPD for getting charges for a false report about an offense.

10.02.2015 Sanitary zone destroyed for a new hypermarket (photo report)

Despite protests from local residents, the destruction of the green space at the intersection of 50 Hod VLKSM and Lunkou streets in Babruisk has begun. The local authorities gave this territory to the "Inproma Group" for construction of the hypermarket "OMA".

10.02.2015 Supreme Court upholds fine to Lohvinau

February 10, the panel of judges on economic affairs of the Supreme Court reviewed the verdict of the Economic Court of Minsk on the case of the publisher Ihar Lohvinau.

10.02.2015 Presidential administration believes that issuance of bodies of executed for burial can cause negative excesses

Head of the main department for work with appeals of citizens and legal entities of the Presidential Administration Stanislau Buko refused to put the question of amending the legislation, which prohibits to issue the bodies of executed death row convicts to their relatives, on the agenda of the Constitutional Court.