The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

14.01.2013 Aleh Volchak addresses UN Human Rights Committee in connection with arrests

The head of the human rights center "Legal Assistance to the Population" Aleh Volchak applied to the UN Human Rights Committee with a complaint in which he lists the facts of systemic violation of the civil rights to freedom and personal immunity, as well as the use of politically motivated adverse discrimination.

14.01.2013 Disabled pensioner fined 3 million rubles for an attempt to set afire the head of the village executive committee

The Biaroza District Court fined Pavel Levashevich, a 89-year-old pensioner from the village of Sakalova in the Biaroza district who has a bad sight, a former prisoner of a German concentration camp, was sentenced to 3 million rubles of fine for an attempt to set afire himself and the head of the Sakalova village executive committee. Though Mr. Levashevich regrets about his deed, he thinks that the verdict is too severe:

14.01.2013 Aleh Stakhayevich: the independent trade union organization at "Granite" still exists

Despite the ceaseless systemic pressure, threats and dismissals, the organization of the independent trade union at the stone-mining enterprise "Granite" in Mikashevichy continues its activities.

14.01.2013 Brest: independent journalists issued with an official warning

The prosecutor's office came to the conclusion that the articles which were published at the website of Radio "Racyja" under the nickname Alisa Pol really belonged to Alina Litvinchuk. However, the deputy prosecutor of the Brest region Aliaksandr Tochka, who passed the warning to the journalist, failed to explain how the prosecutor's office had come to such conclusion.

14.01.2013 Orsha coalition of democratic forces got a letter from Ales Bialiatski

The Orsha coalition of democratic forces sent greeting letters to the 12 Belarusian political prisoners on the eve of the New Year holidays. The coalition participants wished all convicts spiritual strength, tenacity and faith in a better future for the new Belarus. The letter was signed by representatives of nine political parties and initiatives.

14.01.2013 Solidarity action with Bialiatski in Salihorsk (photo)

Last weekend the civil activists from Salihorsk expressed their solidarity with the imprisoned human rights defender Ales Bialiatski. The action was initiated by the local representatives of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee and the editorial office of the saligorsk.org website.

14.01.2013 Ales Bialiatski wishes to Slonim activists to build the Belarusian home together

On the New Year eve members of the Slonim association of democratic forces sent greeting postcards to all political prisoners. Recently they have received an answer from Ales Bialiatski.

14.01.2013 Police raid LGBT parties

In the night of 12-13 January the police raided an LGBT-party of the human rights project "GayBelarus" in the "21st century" nightclub in Vitsebsk. At about 0.20 a.m. riot police assaulted the club. All participants of the party were lined up facing the wall – males on one side of the corridor, females – on the other.

14.01.2013 Night assault on "European Belarus" activist Yuliya Stsiapanava

At about 1 a.m. on 14 January two unidentified people assaulted an activist of the "European Belarus" Yuliya Stsiapanava. They threw her in snow and cut her hair.

12.01.2013 Brest: journalists are not admitted to the trial over their colleague

The judge of the Maskouski District Court of Brest Tatsiana Isayeva turned down the petition for admitting all interested people to the trial over the photo correspondent Milana Kharytonava.

12.01.2013 Customs officers ignore appeal of "Fair World" member Ilona Tkachova

The Zhlobin member of the Belarusian Leftist Party "Fair World" Ilona Tkachova hasn't received any answer to her appeal to the head of the border crossing point "Novaya Huta" concerning the detention of her family on 6 December 2012 and the confiscation of her laptop and photo camera.

12.01.2013 Trees still cut down in Salihorsk forest park

The defenders of the Salihorsk forest park have received another defeat in the struggle for a healthy environment.

12.01.2013 Yauhen Basareuski: "the court minutes were evidently fabricated"

The Zhlobin member of the Belarusian Leftist Party "Fair World" Yauhen Basareuski, sentenced to three years of imprisonment by the Zhlobin District Court for alleged abused of office powers, received a copy of the minutes of the court sitting.

12.01.2013 Law on Alternative Military Service can be made unreasonably severe and formal

Aliaksandr Lukashenka has approved the plan for preparing bills for 2013. One of them can be called sensational for the Belarusian reality – "On Alternative Service". However, there is a risk that this reform will take place without the participation of civil society.

11.01.2013 Activist of United Civil Party gets warned

On 11 January the Brest Region Prosecutor's Office issued a UCP activist Alina Litvinchuk with an official warning about the inadmissibility of illegal work for foreign mass media.