The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

06.05.2013 Hrodna: BCD activist to be tried for "Wave of Solidarity"

On 3 May Syarhey Verameyenka, Hrodna member of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy party, was summonsed to a district police department and questioned in connection with his detention by people in mufti at the "Wave of Solidarity" action on 12 March.

06.05.2013 Baranavichy District Executive Committee bans Milavidy Feast on 150th anniversary of battle of Milavidy

Baranavichy City Executive Committee banned Milavidy feast, planned by the local public for 2 June 20113 and dedicated to the 150th anniversary of Milavidy battle of 1863. This became known from the letter, signed by the deputy head of Baranavichy District Executive Committee Anatol Filanchuk, received by the feast organizers Viachaslau Bolbat, Teresa Silivonchyk and Viktar Syrytsa.

06.05.2013 Vitsebsk activists charged twice for single violation

A member of the Belarusian Popular Front Party Kastus Smolikau was charged with the excess of the legally allowed circulation of officially unregistered press editions. On 24 April a similar report was drawn up on Leanid Autukhou, the head of Vitsebsk regional branch of the Belarusian Popular Front Party. There it is written that the legally allowed circulation of an unregistered edition cannot exceed 299 copies, whereas a much larger number of bulletins was confiscated from the detainees on 22 March.

06.05.2013 Baranavichy activists raise the question of ineffective use of finances raised by taxes

Anzhela Kambalava, an activist of the civil campaign "Tell the Truth", received an answer from Baranavichy City Executive Committee concerning the terrible condition of the central Tsaruk and Haharyn Streets and the terms of their repairs.

06.05.2013 Pavel Seviarynets given three days to visit his home

The co-head of the Belarusian Christian Democracy party, political prisoner Pavel Seviarynets was given three days off to spend the Easter in Vitsebsk.

03.05.2013 "Zmena" activists hang out streamer "Freedom to Political Prisoners" in Kastrychnitskaya Square

On Saturday, 4 May, an activist of "Zmena" (the youth wing of "Tell The Truth") Pavel Vinahradau is to be released after serving an arrest term.

03.05.2013 Syarhey Kavalenka gets the second warning for the week

Vitsebsk activist of the Conservative-Christian Party "Belarusian Popular Front" Siarhei Kavalenka was summonsed to Pershamaiski District Inspection in Vitsebsk and issued with the second warning for the week.

03.05.2013 Belarus is urged to stop death

Amnesty International has distributed an urgent press release with a call on the Belarusian authorities to stop the execution of a death verdict and introduce a moratorium on the death penalty.

03.05.2013 Yan Melnikau to spend all Easter holidays in jail

"For Freedom" activist Yan Melnikau was detained by police in the evening of 2 May. He was holding a streamer "Anarchism is not a crime. Ihar Trukhanovich is not a criminal" in Gorky Park in Minsk.

03.05.2013 Brest: authorities bann pickets in honor of Yury Zakharanka

Brest activists of the United Civil Party filed 12 applications to Brest City Executive Committee to hold pickets and remind about the fate of the former Minister of Interior Yury Zakharanka on 7 May (he went missing back on 7 May 1999).

03.05.2013 Baranavichy activists congratulate political prisoners on Easter

During the first May days Baranavichy civic activists congratulated the Belarusian political prisoners on Easter holiday, sending them letters and nice postcards. The activists hope that it will help the prisoners not to feel abandoned.

03.05.2013 Byalynichy: police inspector holds another questioning concerning “BelSat” journalists

In the midday on 2 May police inspector of Bialynichy District Executive Committee Alyaksandr Yemelyanau came to the house of Valery Vusik in the village of Lebyadzyanka and asked how the latter got acquainted with independent journalists and how the report about the "Lebyadzyanka" farm appeared on the TV channel "BelSat".

03.05.2013 Does publication of newspaper in Belarus violate the equality of state languages?

In February members of Slonim branch of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy gathered 39 signatures under an address to the chief editor of the “Slonimski Vestnik” newspaper, calling to return the Belarusian language to its pages, which had been completely replaced by Russian.