The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for May 2015

13.05.2015 Uzbekistan: ten years after the Andijan massacre, the human rights situation is worse than ever

Paris, May 11, 2015. In commemoration of the ten year anniversary of the Andijan massacre, the FIDH, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), ACAT (Action by Christians Against Torture) and Fiery Hearts Club remind the international community of the dangerous oblivion of one of the bloodiest massacre of civilians in Central Asia.

13.05.2015 Members of Salihorsk branch of Belarusian Language Society demand real equality of languages

Participants of the solemn assembly of the Salihorsk city organization of the Belarusian Language Society named after Francysk Skaryna" adopted an appeal to the head of the House of Representatives and the Prime Minister with the requirement of real linguistic equality in the country.

13.05.2015 Belarus: MEPs launch initiative to defend human rights

May 12, 2015 ALDE Group Vice-President, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS (Liberal’s Movement of Lithuania) co-hosted in the European Parliament, a meeting with the relatives of six Belarusian political prisoners who came to share their experiences and talk about the human rights situation under Alexander Lukashenko’s regime.

13.05.2015 Human rights activist holding Savchenko portrait detained near Russian embassy

Natallia Harachka, a human rights activist of the initiative Legal Assistance to Citizens, was detained near the embassy of Russia in Minsk.

12.05.2015 Council of Ministers violates the law on citizens' appeals

The Council of Ministers has sent an answer to Tamara Sialiun, the mother of an executed death row convict Pavel Sialiun, to her request to initiate an audit of the compliance of Article 175 of the Criminal Executive Code to the Constitution of Belarus.

12.05.2015 Trade union challenges ban on May Day rally

May 11, Belarusian Trade Union of Radio Electronic Industry (TUREI) filed an appeal against the ban of the Minsk City Executive Committee on holding a May Day rally to the Maskoŭski District Court of Minsk.

12.05.2015 Police confiscate book from Anatol Liabedzka and try to get into his apartment

In the evening on May 9, 38 copies of Anatol Liabedzka's book “108 days and nights in the dungeons of the KGB” were seized from him. At first the police found some materials of the United Civil Party in his car, and then decided to “thoroughly examine” it, which resulted in the confiscation of the books, which were in the trunk. The books have been sent for an examination.

12.05.2015 Salihorsk police evade from answering inquiry about possibility of handing out national symbols

Salihorsk activists of the United Civil Party concerning their inquiry about the possibility of the legal distribution of white-red-white flags and the officially registered historical emblem “Pahonia” among the local population.

12.05.2015 Baranavičy: trial concerning picket ban scheduled for May 14

The trade union activist Ryhor Hryk received a notice from the Bararanavičy City and District Court that his appeal against the refusal of the executive committee to authorize his picket on May Day would be considered on May 14.

12.05.2015 Hungarian politicians discuss human rights situation in Belarus with Ales Bialiatski

May 11 in Budapest, the with the head of the HRC "Viasna" Ales Bialiatski had a meeting with Mr. Gergely Prőehle, State Secretary for International and European Affairs at the Ministry of Human Capacities, and Péter Balázs, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and the European Commissioner for Regional Development who currently heads the Center for EU Enlargement Studies.

11.05.2015 Leanid Kulakou sentenced to seven days of arrest

Today, an activist of the “European Belarus” Leanid Kulakou was judged at the Smaliavičy District Court. Judge Lina Barodzich sentenced him to seven days of arrest.

11.05.2015 Exhibition "Six arguments against the death penalty" held in Mozyr

The exhibition is being held at Mozyr center of advocates of changes and includes posters from the collection of the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty and paintings by Aleh Ablazhei.

11.05.2015 Gay gets beaten and insulted for his sexual favors

Unidentified individuals have assaulted a gay in Žlobin for his sexual orientation. 32-year-old Aliaksandr (on the left) was beaten. The offenders stripped him of his clothes, tore his shirt and T-shirt. They insulted the man, shooting it on video and forcing him to tell that he was gay and was sleeping with under-aged persons. They took away Aliaksandr's mobile phone and promised to cut him into pieces.

11.05.2015 Biaroza: appeal against Freedom Day picket ban to be considered May 12

At 11 a.m. on May 12 Biaroza District Court will start hearing the appeal of the human rights activists Siarhei Rusetski and Tamara Shchapiotkina and the civil society activist Tatsiana Tarasevich against the refusal of the Biaroza District Executive Committee to authorize the picket they intended to hold on March 25.

11.05.2015 Babrujsk ideologists interfere with journalist's work

Videographer of "Babrujski Kurjer" faced with prejudice by the local ideologists. Viktar Masalovich was shooting on video the celebration of May 9 at Victory Square and wanted to go to a convenient location reserved for journalists, but was stopped by the head of ideological department of the Babrujsk City Executive Committee Mikalai Baliuk.