The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

11.01.2010 Vitsebsk: activist of ‘Young Belarus’ Taras Surhan detained

Taras Surhan was detained on 9 January when he left his apartment with his future wife to take out the trash. ‘As I threw the rubbish into the waste bin, the unknown in mufti ran from behind, forced me into the car and took me away. Then I was placed in another car, with policemen, and taken to the police department of Chyhunachny district of Vitsebsk,’ Surhan said.

11.01.2010 Vitsebsk: criminal case brought against Siarhei Kavalenka

As BelaPAN learned from Pavel Seviarynets, co-head of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party, Siarhei Kavalenka, activist of the Conservative Christian Party BPF accused of hanging out a national white-red-white flag on a New Year’s tree, has been transferred to a detention facility for two months on order of the prosecutor of Vitebsk.

06.01.2010 Results of Uladzimir Hrydzin’s complaints against unlawful actions of police

Officers of the Pershamaiski district police department of Minsk partially confessed the violations towards the journalist Uladzimir Hrydzin on 29 September, whereas the Pershamaiski district guard department of MIA states that its officers didn’t violate any legal norms by their actions.

07.12.2009 Detention for blue ribbons

Activist of the civil campaign European Belarus Stefan Korf was detained by police patrol near Kuntsaushchyna metro station.

04.12.2009 Detained for handing out entrepreneurs’ bulletin

The guards of Minsk market Malinauka detained the activist of the entrepreneur movement Pavel Yalovik for handing out the entrepreneurs’ informational bulletin. She was guarded to the office of the market director. Then the guards called the police. They said that it was prohibited to distribute any press at the market.

30.11.2009 Human rights activist forcibly taken to mental hospital

Human rights activist and businessman Viktar Chabatarou has been forcibly taken to Navinki mental hospital by Kalinkavichy police. According to Mr. Chabatarou’s son, the activist was ‘arrested by road police while going to Minsk for an independent psychiatric examination’, initiated by Judge Mrs. Liudmila Savastsianava of Kalinkavichy District Court. None of his family members was informed of the detention.

30.11.2009 Finkevich detained by policemen and KGB and taken to tax inspection

Tax inspection of Zavadski district of Minsk demands “Young Belarus” leader Artur Finkevich to account for the amount by which his expenditures exceed revenues.

As BelaPAN was informed by Finkevich, on November 27 at about 2.30 p.m. he was detained in Ubarevich Street by KGB officers and police. “I left the house, and chekists (KGB servicemen) flew at me from every side.

16.11.2009 Kobryn: district court refuses to consider Aliaksandr Mekh’s complaint against unlawful detention

Alaksandr Mekh, the head of the BPF branch in Kobryn, got an answer from the district court over his arrest at the Dazhynki harvest festival.

16.11.2009 Vitsebsk: Barys Khamaida detained once more

Detentions of Vitsebsk oppositionist and distributor of independent press are getting regular. According to RFE/RL, policemen detain Barys Khamaida and place to the Chyhynachny district police department of Vitsebsk.

11.11.2009 Nasta Palazhanka complained to prosecutor’s office against police actions

the deputy head of Young Front Nasta Palazhanka addressed the Pershamaiski district prosecutor’s office concerning her unlawful detention at the Pershamaiski district police department for six hours and the unlawful confiscation of the informational materials concerning the campaigns held by the organization.

11.11.2009 Vitsebsk: Barys Khamaida detained again

The police officers of the Chyhunachny district police department of Vitsebsk detained the oppositionist Barys Khamaida for distribution of non-state press.

09.11.2009 Navahrudak: detentions on suspicion in flinging paint on Lenin monument

In the morning on 7 November the monument to Lenin in Navahrudak was flung with green paint. Not far from the monument the police detained Daryia Bakhur and Yury Kazak, activists of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Party in Navahrudak.

09.11.2009 Detention for barbed-wire wreath

On 7 November the police detained the car of Yury Karetnikau and ordered him to drive to the Kastrychnitski district police department without offering any explanations.

09.11.2009 Preventive arrest of ‘Young Front’ leaders in Minsk

The Young Front activists Mikalai Dzemidzenka and Anastasia Palazhanka were detained in Minsk on 7 November. They were going to hold a street action under the slogan ‘Tribunal for Communism’.