11.05.2012 Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in April 2012
April was marked by first steps towards de-escalation of the political conflict between the Belarusian authorities and the European Union. Two political prisoners were released as a result – former presidential candidate Andrei Sannikau and his electioneering agent Dzmitry Bandarenka (on 14 and 15 April respectively). In response to this move the EU refused to take further sanctions against Belarus, while stressing the need to release all political prisoners at the meeting of 23 April.
13.04.2012 Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in March 2012
In March, the human rights situation was strongly dependent on the developments in the foreign policy The unresolved issue of political prisoners increased the confrontation between the Belarusian authorities and the European Union: the reluctance of the official Minsk to eliminate the root cause of the conflict faced a tough and consistent position of the EU.
12.03.2012 Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in February 2012
In February, the absence of positive developments in the field of human rights, especially the unresolved issue of political prisoners was in the center of political relations between the EU and the Belarusian authorities.
13.02.2012 Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in January 2012
In January the human rights situation in Belarus remained critical. 15 prisoners convicted for their political and social activities remained behind bars. The appellate court left in force the verdict to the head of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" Ales Bialiatski. It became known that torture and ill-treatment were used towards another political prisoner, former presidential candidate Andrei Sannikau, with the aim to make him apply to the head of the state for pardon. As a result, he filed such a petition. Political prisoners Mikalai Autukhovich and Mikalai Statkevich were tried for alleged violations of the prison regime. As a result, the conditions of their imprisonment were toughened.
15.09.2011 Human Rights Center Viasna: 15 years of persecution
Since its inception in 1996, the human rights organization “Viasna 96”, and then the Human Rights Center Viasna was consequently and ruthlessly persecuted by the Belarusian authorities. All members of this organization were subject to detention, beatings, raids, arrests and fines. A complete list of the facts of persecution would take more than a dozen pages. However, most often the lightning of the state anger fell on the highest point of the organization, its head Ales Bialiatski.
14.06.2011 Weekly Review of post-election situation in Belarus (6-12 June)
The total sum of fines given to participants of the Stop Petrol protest exceeds 3 mln Belarusian rubles. On 12 June the riot police violently dispersed a spontaneous protest action of drivers at the border crossing point Bruzgi. Human rights defenders demand that the authorities stop cruel treatment and torture of political prison Mikita Likhavid. A member of the United Civil Party, businessman Andrei Bandarenka was acquitted after spending two years in jail. The Belarusian democratic organizations the Belarusian Association of Journalists, the Human Rights Center Viasna and the Free Theater received the Freedom Award at the Wroclaw Global Forum held on 9-11 June.
07.06.2011 Weekly review of post-election situation in Belarus (30 May – 5 June)
The trials of the majority of figurants of the “19 December riot” criminal case came to an end in May. 31 people were convicted. However, there remain about 20 suspects and accused who haven't been tried so far. Rodion Marinichev, correspondent for the Russian TV channel Dozhd, was deported from Belarus and banned entry for 5 years. The court left in force the official warning to the private socio-political weekly Nasha Niva. The cassation appeal against the warning issued to the Chair of the Human Rights Center Viasna, Ales Bialiatski, for activities on behalf of unregistered organization, was left standing as well. The Ministry of Justice exercises pressure on lawyers. Convicts make statements about the use of torture during the investigation.
03.06.2011 Brief review of the process of Belarusian anarchists
The preliminary investigation into the criminal case was accompanied with serious process violations of the convicts' rights, including: arbitrary detention, violations of the terms and procedures of detention established by the Criminal-Process Code of the Republic of Belarus (CPC), violation of the right to defense, and violation of the presumption of innocence. The detention of I.Alinevich in Moscow and his transportation to the KGB pre-trial prison in Minsk were accompanied with violations of legal procedures including the procedure of extradition of Belarusian citizens to Belarus from the Russian Federation.
30.05.2011 Weekly review of post-election situation in Belarus (23-29 May)
Minsk courts pronounced 7 more verdicts in the mass riot criminal case: former presidential candidates Mikalai Statkevich and Dzmitry Us were sentenced to 6 and 5.5 years of imprisonment respectively, Aliaksandr Klaskouski – 5 years, Artsiom Hrybkou – 4 years. Andrei Pazniak was released in the courtroom after he was sentenced to 2 years of compulsory labour without direction to a penal colony. Radio Racyja board chair Yauhen Wapa was not allowed entering Belarus and his visa was cancelled without any explanations. Minsk police detained 7 participants, including 4 human rights defenders, of a round table meeting on the issues of reforming Belarusian Internal Affairs system. President Lukashenka called upon officials to close down the media “engaged in creating panic” in consumer and currency markets.
25.05.2011 Weekly review of post-election situation in Belarus (15-22 May)
Three trials of 16 participants of the 19 December 2010 post-election events were finished last week, 9 defendants were convicted under Par. 1 Art. 342 of the Criminal Code (organization and preparation of activities that breach the public order, or active participation in them). On 16 May sentences were handed down to Iryna Khalip, Pavel Seviarynets and Siarhei Martseleu, on 20 May – to Uladzimir Niakliayeu, Siarhei Vazniak, Aliaksandr Fiaduta, Vital Rymasheuski, Andrei Dzmitryeu and Nasta Palazhanka. The verdicts appeared to be rather mild, as compared to the previous ones: those were mostly suspended imprisonment or probation. The pronouncement of sentences to seven more persons involved in the criminal proceedings on riots charges were postponed, including 2 presidential candidates Mikalai Statkevich and Dzmitry Us.
16.05.2011 Weekly review of post-election situation in Belarus (9-15 May)
A record number (27 persons) of participants of the 19 December 2010 events stood trials last week. The first verdict on charges of organizing mass riots was pronounced – former presidential candidate Andrei Sannikau was sentenced to 5 years of imprisonment in a high-security penal colony. Other participants of the post-election protest who stood trial together with the politician were also convicted: Aleh Hnedchyk – 3.5 years, Illya Vasilevich, Fiodar Mirzayanau and Uladzimir Yaromenka – 3 years in a high-security prison each. Siarhei Kazakou, Vital Matsukevich, Yauhen Sakret and Uladzimir Loban were sentenced to three years in a high-security prison each, Dzmitry Daronin and Aleh Fedarkevich – 3.5 years each. Freedom of speech and association was still restricted, administrative pressure was used.
04.05.2011 Weekly Review of Post-election Situation in Belarus (25 April – 1 May)
Trials of the criminal cases instigated for participation in the post-election protest actions continued in the Minsk courts during the whole week. All in all, 11 defendants were tried. A verdict to Dzmitry Bandarenka, a coordinator of the civil campaign European Belarus, was pronounced: he was punished with 24 months of imprisonment under Article 342 of the Criminal Code. The crackdown on the freedom of word increased as well - the largest private socio-political editions, Narodnaya Volia and Nasha Niva face the closing down. Activities of human rights defendants are banned as well: an expert of the International Observation Mission Ivan Kondratenko was deported from Belarus. Administrative persecution is going on, too: detentions of participants of street actions ended with fines and arrests.
25.04.2011 Weekly review of post-election situation in Belarus (18-24 April)
The 11 April terrorist act in Minsk metro was followed by increasing harassment of independent mass media: prosecuting and executive authorities addressed warnings to individual journalists and editorial boards of several media. Public media launched a campaign of discrediting against independent mass media. In these circumstances, the Belarusian Association of Journalists released a statement entitled “Stop Persecution of Our Colleagues!” Another person was reported as involved in the mass riot criminal case – Vital Stazharau. The dates of trials of 11 defendants in the 19 December 2010 case were appointed. On 19 April, activists of the “Nash Dom” civil campaign Valery Shchukin, Aleh Barshcheuski, Pavel Levinau and Pavel Staneuski were preventively detained and later sentenced to administrative arrests. Another activist Volha Karach was fined. The authorities banned all events marking the 25th anniversary of Chernobyl disaster.
18.04.2011 Weekly review of post-election situation in Belarus (11-17 April)
The past week was marred by a terrible tragedy that made all other events fall by the wayside: on 11 April Minsk Kastrychnitskaya central metro station was rocked by a powerful blast, claiming 13 lives and causing injuries to over 200 more people. April 13 was declared a national day of morning. The explosion was qualified as an act of terrorism, the news that shocked Belarus as it had always been thought of as a rather safe country. On 12 April, a PACE meeting in Strasbourg considered the scheduled Belarusian issues, which was condemned by the official media, who labeled the human rights defenders attending the meeting as “a fifth column”, naming their actions “dance on bones”. However, the state-run media failed to mention a one-minute silence that opened the PACE session. A number of Belarusian politicians and journalists, including opposition leader Aliaksandr Milinkevich, independent columnist Aliaksandr Starykevich and former KGB officer Valery Kostka, were officially warned by the General Prosecutor’s Office for alleged dissemination of “ungrounded data on the 11 April tragedy.” Furthermore, the Information Ministry issued similar warnings to the Nasha Niva and Narodnaya Volya independent periodicals, together with the UzHorak minor local newspaper. Several case files of persons involved in the 19 December 2010 events were submitted to courts. Civil activists kept campaigning for the release of journalist Andrzej Poczobut, arrested on charges of libel of the President.
11.04.2011 Weekly review of post-election situation in Belarus (4-10 April)
The recent social and political developments in the country have been accompanied by certain economic instability, with gradual increase in exchange rates and rush demand on the foreign currency and food markets. The 19 December 2010 “mass riot” criminal case is still underway: the Interior Ministry has announced the termination of the preliminary investigation activities. The case files of former presidential candidates Mikalai Statkevich and Dzmitry Us have been submitted to courts for consideration. Four more persons involved in the case – Zmitser Bandarenka, Pavel Seviarynets, Iryna Khalip and Siarhei Martsaleu – are now facing milder charges. Minsk City Court dismissed the appeals by Aliaksandr Atroshchankau, Dzmitry Novik and Aliaksandr Malchanau, who had been earlier convicted under Art. 293 of the Criminal Code. The General Prosecutor’s Office refused to initiate criminal proceedings following a torture report by former presidential candidate Ales Mikhalevich. Andrzej Poczobut, journalist and activist of the opposition Union of Poles, faces charges under two criminal articles – Par. 1 Art. 386 (“insult of President”) and Par. 1 Art. 367 (“libel of President”). Two KGB prisoners – UCP leader Anatol Liabedzka and “Tell the Truth” activist Aliaksandr Fiaduta – were released on recognizance.
