The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for May 2015

11.05.2015 Salihorsk: human rights require a new decision on canceling public events

Salihorsk representative of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee Leanid Markhotka asks the Salihorsk Council to cancel the decision of the Salihorsk District Executive Committee "On designation of places for mass events" No. 427, adopted on February 27 and enforced on April 4, 2015.

09.05.2015 Ihar Alinevich placed in penal cell for May Day

April 22, political prisoner Ihar Alinevich has been again placed in a penal cell. Human Rights Center “Viasna” learned it from his mother, Valiantsina Alinevich, whom he had phoned on May 3.

09.05.2015 Leanid Kulakou got detained

As learned by the Human Rights Center “Viasna”, at 9.30 p.m. on 8 May an activist of European Belarus Leanid Kulakou was detained near his home.

08.05.2015 Brest activists of United Civil Party intend to hold pickets against "decree on parasites"

Local activists of the United Civil Party have appealed to the Brest City Executive Committee with the request to authorize ten pickets. They intend to conduct the events in various suburbs of Brest in order to express their conviction about the inadmissibility of the introduction of forced labor in Belarus, provided by Decree No. 3 for April 2, 2015.

08.05.2015 Preventive detention of fans of Football club Dynamo Minsk

As learned by the Human Rights Center “Viasna”, late in the evening policemen came to a FCDM fan with a search warrant. The detainee, Yury Belavusau, managed to pass this information.

08.05.2015 Journalist Tamara Shchapiotkina challenges court verdict

Independent journalist T. Shchapiotkina has filed an appeal to the Brest Regional Court against the verdict of the court of Leninski district of Brest, according to which she had been fined 40 basic units. In the appeal, the journalist asks to cancel the verdict and send the case for retrial.

08.05.2015 Will amnesty concern political prisoners?

President of Belarus Aliaksandr Lukashenka has passed to the House of Representatives the draft law "On amnesty in connection with the 70th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945". Will this amnesty concern Belarusian political prisoners?

08.05.2015 Journalist Volha Chaichyts to be tried for collaboration with "BelSat"

She is charged under Article 22.9 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, “work for foreign media without accreditation”. The writ was not handed to her in person, but was sent by mail.

08.05.2015 BCD organizing committee: Congress to be held outdoors if we won’t be able to rent premises

The organizing committee for creation of the Belarusian Christian Democracy party is ready to hold its founding congress in the open air.

07.05.2015 Viciebsk Regional Court dismisses appeal of unemployed oppositionist

Head of the regional branch of the Belarusian Popular Front party Leanid Autukhou wanted to achieve the lifting of the verdict of the Haradok District Court, according to which he was fined 5.4 million rubles. "I wish I was sentenced to arrest," says the unemployed activist.

Valiantsin Stefanovich: It is worth reminding the Ministry of Justice about the position of the UNHRC regarding the non-registration of "Viasna"

07.05.2015 Valiantsin Stefanovich: It is worth reminding the Ministry of Justice about the position of the UNHRC regarding the non-registration of "Viasna"

In her speech in Geneva at the UPR procedure for Belarus, the representative of the Ministry of Justice Hanna Shpak stated that some groups are capitalizing on their status of unregistered public associations for political reasons. Deputy Head of Human Rights Center "Viasna" Valiantsin Stefanovich, who was present at that meeting, decided that it was worth reminding the officials of the Ministry of Justice about the history of the organization's non-registration.

07.05.2015 UN establishes violation of electoral rights of Leanid Sudalenka

As it became known today, the UN Committee on Human Rights adopted a decision on the complaint of a resident of Homieĺ, Leanid Sudalenka relating to the 2007 local elections.

07.05.2015 Baranavičy: prison guards refuse to pass newspapers to political prisoner Yury Rubtsou

Baranavičy civil society activists Siarhei Housha and Viktar Syrytsa have paid a visit to remand prison No. 6 in Bresckaja Street, 258 in Baranavičy and passed a parcel for the political prisoner Yury Rubtsou.

07.05.2015 Human rights activists demands to amend the Code of Criminal Procedure

Human rights activist Siarhei Ustsinau appealed to the National Center for Legislation and Legal Research with the request to draft a bill on introducing changes to the Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Belarus regarding the conduct of the examination.

07.05.2015 Journalists Aliaksandr Dzianisau and Aliaksandr Kirkevich file appeals

Hrodna freelance journalists Aliaksandr Dzianisau and Aliaksandr Kirkevich have filed appeals to Hrodna Regional Court. April 22, both of them had been fined by Judge of the Leninski District Court of Hrodna Alena Piatrova 20 base units under Article 22.9 of the Administrative Code for alleged illegal production and distribution of information products.