The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for March 2015

16.03.2015 Vital Huliak appeals UN Human Rights Committee

Vaukavysk activist Vital Huliak has filed an individual communication with the United Nations Human Rights Committee. It can be considered a double appeal.

16.03.2015 Svetlahorsk police fail to identify persons who threatened Yury Liashenka

Svetlahorsk police keep answering to the repeated appeals of a civil society activist, disabled of the first group Yury Liashenka by saying they didn't manage to identify the protractors.

16.03.2015 Ales Bialiatski: Authorities are trying to beat journalists and human rights activists out of the electoral process

The head of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" commented on the recent facts of the persecution of journalists and human rights defenders in Mahiliou at his public Facebook page.

16.03.2015 Blogger threatened after refusing to go to police station without summons

A renowned blogger defies an established practice in Belarus when people must report to police just after a telephone call from investigators. Journalist and blogger Hleb Labadzenka came across the outrageous methods used by a police officer from Minsk's Saviecki DIstrice Police Department.

16.03.2015 Minsk Regional Court dismisses Mikhail Hladki's appeal

March 13, Minsk Regional Court considered the appeal of Mikhail Hladki against the verdict of the Minsk District Court by which he was denied a compensation for the pecuniary and non-pecuniary damages resulting from unlawful imprisonment.

13.03.2015 Son of Babruisk blogger, sentenced to personal restrain, unable to find a job

Aliaksei Zhalnou, the son of the Babruisk blogger Aleh Zhalnou, has been serving a personal restraint term in an open correctional facility in the village of Zalip'ye in the Homel region since November 2014.

13.03.2015 Prosecutor General's Office asked to check the legality of construction works in Brest Fortress

The appeal was filed by the chairman of the Belarusian Society for Protection of Monuments of History and Culture Anton Astapovich, who believes that in the course of the planned construction of a hotel and youth military-patriotic centrethe current legislation on historical and cultural monumentsis violated.

13.03.2015 Eduard Lobau gets fined for violation of the regime of preventive supervision

Former political prisoner, co-Chair of "Young Front" Eduard Lobau, who has been under preventive supervision of the police since his release from jail, was punished for its violation.

13.03.2015 Haradok: political activist to be tried for insulting an official

Leanid Autukhou compared an official with a "terrorist in Lugansk and Donetsk". He left such a record in the book of complaints of the regional employment centre, outraged by the behavior of the head of the institution, Piatro Prasolau. The official, in his turn, appealed to the police.

13.03.2015 Tamara Sialiun's appeal is beyond court jurisdiction

Leninski District Court of Hrodna refused to institute civil proceedings against the Department of Corrections of the Ministry of Interior on appeal of Tamara Sialiun concerning the fact of sending her the prison robe of her son, death row convict Pavel Sialiun, after his execution.

13.03.2015 “People in mufti” visit parents of murdered journalist Veranika Charkasava

One of them presented himself as a policemen, the other was silently present during the conversation.

13.03.2015 Tamara Shchapiotkina fined 7.2 mln roubles

Tamara Shchapiotkina, a freelance journalist from Biaroza, has been fined 7.2 million Belarusian roubles under Article 22.9 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, «work for foreign media without accreditation”.

12.03.2015 Homel: Larysa Shchyrakova gets fined for “participation in illicit manufacture and distribution of media products”

March 12, Judge of the Tsentrany District Court of Homel Viktar Kazachak considered an administrative report drawn up on freelance journalist Larysa Shchyrakova.

12.03.2015 Situation of Human Rights in Belarus. February 2015.

February was marked by a negative trend in the field of human rights. There was a clear departure of the EU and the US from a value-based approach in their relations with the Belarusian authorities. One can say that the official Minsk restored a dialogue on its own terms, which is based on a pragmatic relationship.

12.03.2015 Anzhalika Borys subjected to prophylactic supervision

She is suspected of acting on behalf of an unregistered organization.She was informed by it by an investigator of the Financial Investigations Department of the Committee of State Control in the Hrodna region.