The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for February 2015

04.02.2015 Opposition activist is turned into a «social parasite»

An activist of the Belarusian Popular Front Leanid Autukhou has received a letter from Haradok employment center informing him he is removed from the register of unemployed persons and the social employment center will no longer deal with his employment.

04.02.2015 Judicial board of Homel Regional Court rejects the appeal of a death convict's mother

Judicial board on civil cases of the Homel Regional Court refused to verify the claims of the mother of an executed death convicts, Volha Hrunova to the state, upholding the verdict of the Tsentralny District Court of Homel which refused to institute civil proceedings against the Homel Regional Court and the Department of Corrections, who refuse to disclose the burial place of Aliaksandr Hrunou.

04.02.2015 Human rights activists met with the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Belarus

Representatives of the leading Belarusian human rights organizations met with the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Belarus Miklos Haraszti. The event was held on February 2-3 in Vilnius as the Belarusian authorities do not recognize the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur and don't let him visit Belarus.

03.02.2015 Court turns down Ryhor Kastusiou's appeal

February 3, Mahiliou Regional Court turned down the appeal of the Deputy Chair of the Belarusian Popular Front Ryhor Kastusiou against the verdict of the Shklou District Court, according to which he had been sentenced to a fine of 3,750,000 roubles form taking part in the commemoration of participants of the Kalinouski uprising of 1963-1864, held on October 26, 2014.

03.02.2015 Entrepreneur arrested for 15 days after going to Council of Ministers for negotiations

February 3, in an interview with charter97.org director of international freight Siarhei Shoda, sentenced to a fine of 80,000 Euros for alleged violations of the rules of cargo transportation within the BelToll system of paid roads in Belarus, stated his plans to meet with the representative of the Government, Deputy Prime Minister Vasil Matsiusheuski in order to settle the situation.

03.02.2015 Horki: police seize pensioners after anonymous report on their involvement in early election campaigning

Maryia Kiryienka and Tatsiana Siarheyeva have been taken to the Horki District Police Department. As reported by the women, they are charged with electoral campaigning.

03.02.2015 Application for picket against corruption and increase in costs for public utilities filed in Baranavichy

February 3, 2015, Baranavičy individual entrepreneur Mikalai Charnavus filed an application to the local executive committee for holding a picket against corruption and increase in the costs for public utilities.

03.02.2015 Mahiliou journalist Aliaksandr Burakou appeals against fine

January 31, Aliaksandr Burakou filed an appeal to Chairman of the Mahiliou Regional Court.

03.02.2015 Ex-political prisoner Aliaksandr Frantskevich sentenced to 25 days of arrest

February 3, Minsk's Savetski District Court heard an administrative case against an activist of the anarchist movement, ex-political prisoner Aliaksandr Frantskevich. The case was considered by Judge Artsiom Biaskishski.

02.02.2015 UN Special Rapporteur not let in Belarus

In May, the issue of extending the powers of the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Belarus is to be decided.

02.02.2015 New edition of the Law “On Martial Law”

It was published on the National Legal Internet Portal on January 21 and took effect on February 1. The law defines the grounds for the imposition of martial law: military threat or attack.

02.02.2015 Political prisoner Ihar Alinevich put in penal cell again

This is at least the fifth incarceration during the time he has spent in the correctional colony “Vitsba”.

02.02.2015 Former political prisoner Aliaksandr Frantskevich detained by police

As it became known to the Human Rights Centre “Viasna”, at 4 p.m. on February 2 Aliaksandr Frantskevich was detained by police.

02.02.2015 Political prisoner Yury Rubtsou gets a warning on stopping his hunger-strike

February 1, political prisoner Yury Rubtsou, who is serving a sentence in the open correctional facility No. 7 in the village of Kulin (Pruzhany district), stopped his hunger-strike.