News on the topic: freedom of peaceful assembly
12.05.2009 Mahiliou: fine for religious activities
According to information of the BelaPAN, on 11 May the judge of Kastrychnitski district court of Mahiliou Iryna Tsiaplova fined the entrepreneur Liudmila Batsiuk, member of the international organization House on the Rock 140 000 rubles (about $50) for illegal religious activities.
12.05.2009 No premises for Congress of Belarusians
On 7 May the Republican Art gallery in Minsk, owned by the Artists’ Union, refused to lend premises to the World Alliance of Belarusians Batskawshchyna the premises for holding the 5th Congress of the organization.
11.05.2009 8 May: detentions in the center of Minsk
Riot police forces were thrown in Minsk center in the evening of 8 May. Many people, both opposition activists and passers-by, were detained.
09.05.2009 Pressurization of Astravets activists continues
On 5 May a police officer visited the apartment of the member of the organizing committee of the civil initiative Astravets nuclear power station is a crime Ivan Kruk to interrogate the latter concerning distribution of the informational materials dedicated to the 23rd anniversary of Chernobyl accident and the official plans of constructing a nuclear power station in Astravets.
09.05.2009 Vadzim Kanapatski filed complaint to prosecutor’s office
The deputy head of Minsk city organization of the BPF Party Vadzim Kanapatski, unlawfully detained on the eve of 7 May action, has filed a complaint to Tsentralny district prosecutor’s office against the unlawful actions of the police officers.
09.05.2009 Police beat up participants of 7 May action
Participants of the rally on 7 May were beaten even for a denial to be fingerprinted, though formally this procedure is voluntary.
09.05.2009 Political prisoner Mikalai Autukhovich calls activists to stop hunger-strike of solidarity with him
As said by the lawyer of the political prisoner Pavel Sapelka, Mikalai Autukhovich calls on the people who are keeping the hunger-strike of solidarity with him to stop it. He thanks everybody for the support, but says that their health and youth are necessary to continue the struggle for democracy.
08.05.2009 Mahiliou: arrests for white-red-white flags at ‘Lyapis Trubetskoy’ concert
On 7 May people were detained in Mahilou at a concert played by Lyapis Trubetskoy, while the musicians were singing the song Belarus Freedom.
08.05.2009 26 people on hunger strike in solidarity with political prisoners
The number of participants of a hunger strike in solidarity with political prisoner Mikalai Autukhovich is increasing every day.
07.05.2009 Action in the memory of Yury Zakharanka ends with mass detentions
On 7 May at 6 p.m. several hundred people came to an action of commemoration of the ex-minister of interior Yury Zakharanka who has been missing for ten years already. The people were holding the photos of Zakharanka and the photos of the political prisoners Mikalai Autukhovich, Uladzimir Asipenka and Yury Liavonau.
07.05.2009 Homel: police warn ‘For Freedom’ coordinator Uladzimir Katsora
On 6 May the police reminded Uladzimir Katsora about administrative responsibility for violation of the law On mass actions that could take place during commemoration of Yury Zakharanka on the tenth anniversary of disappearance.
07.05.2009 6th day of action of solidarity: Mikalai Autukhovich hungers for 20 days already
On 6 May the action of solidarity with political prisoner Mikalai Autukhovich, who has gone on indefinite hunger strike, was held in Kastrychnitskaya Square of Minsk in presence of riot policemen and law enforcement officers in mufti.
06.05.2009 Salihorsk police detain "Young Front" activists for defending the right to education
The Young Front activists who were detained on 5 May in the evening in Salihorsk during a picket in support of forcibly drafted Ivan Shyla, were released in three hours.
06.05.2009 Brest city executive committee banned the picket dedicated to the tenth anniversary of disappearance of Yury Zakharanka
Brest city executive committee did not grant the application for the picket, dedicated to the tenth anniversary of disappearance of the former minister of interior Yury Zakharanka. The politician was kidnapped on 7 May 1999 and has been missing since then.
06.05.2009 Valiantsin Stefanovich: ‘Why use water cannons if policemen like to beat people with feet?’
According to Alexander Lukashenka, the legislation in Belarus is better than in the European Union. In the interview to the Reuters agency he stated that ‘dictator Lukashenka hasn’t ever used tear gas or water cannons’.
