06.05.2009 Action of solidarity with political prisoners: day five

Before the rally of solidarity that was to start in Kastrychnitskaya Square of Minsk on 5 May in the evening, several street cleaning machines arrived to the scene. For some time people couldn’t stay on the square, as they risked to be showered by water.

06.05.2009 Hunger-strike in support of Mikalai Autukhovich becomes international

7 more public activists have joined the indefinite hunger strike of solidarity with Mikalai Autukhovich, Yury Liavonau and Uladzimir Asipenka.

05.05.2009 Fined for anti-draft banner

The youth activist Siarhei Kliuyeu was fined 175 000 Belarusian rubles for having hung out a banner in Minsk on 23 February.

05.05.2009 Action of solidarity with Mikalai Autukhovich: day four

The action of solidarity with political prisoner Mikalai Autukhovich, who has gone on hunger strike, continued in Minsk on 4 May.

04.05.2009 Maladechna: action of solidarity with political prisoners

An action of solidarity with the political prisoners Mikalai Autukhovich, Yury Liavonau and Uladzimir Asipenka was held in Maladzechna.

04.05.2009 Action of solidarity: day three

On 3 May activists of the civil campaign European Belarus, Young Front and Young Belarus traditionally gathered in Kastrychnitskaya Square at 6 p.m.

04.05.2009 Action of solidarity: day two

At 6 p.m. on 2 May about 40 activists of Young Front, Young Belarus, European Belarus and BPF Youth lined up in Kastrychnitskaya Square in Minsk with portraits of Mikalai Autukhovich in their hands and demanded that Autukhovich and other political prisoners were released from prison.

04.05.2009 Brest: opposition activists are driven away from Lenin Square

On 1 May in Brest the police did not let activists of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada) and the Party Communists Belarusian to stand in the crowd of idlers in Lenin Square, where passers-by stopped to watch the opening of the honors board of the best enterprises of the region by the city authorities.

04.05.2009 On 1 May Minsk police disbanded action of solidarity with political prisoners

In Minsk riot policemen were beating up participants of the peaceful rally of solidarity with political prisoner Mikalai Autukhovich who had declared indefinite hunger strike. The rally took place on 1 May near the remand prison in Valadarski Street in Minsk.

30.04.2009 Baranavichy court leaves rally conduction regulations unchanged

Today Baranavichy Town and District Court has considered the claim by the human rights activist Siarhei Housha, lawyer Karnei Piatrovich and For Freedom member Viktar Syrytsa against the decision of 17 January 2006 by the town authorities regulating the procedures of holding mass actions. Judge Mikalai Silmanovich resolved to turn down the claim. According to Siarhei Housha, the decision virtually outlaws any mass actions in the town. It violates both the Law on Mass Actions and the Belarusian Constitution, as well as the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ratified by Belarus. The activists say they are going to appeal the verdict at a superior judicial body.

30.04.2009 Belarusian authorities banned holding Europe’s Day

Minsk city executive committee denied a permission to hold pickets for collection of signatures in favour of Belarus’ joining the European Union. The officials explained their denial by a non-existent legal norm.

On April 14, 2009 activists of the civil campaign “European Belarus” Dzmitser Barodka and Maxim Syarheeu filed applications for holding a picket in Minsk park of People’s Friendship. In an answer signed by the deputy chairman of Minsk city executive committee M. Tsistyankou is was said that Minsk city executive committee hasn’t sanctioned holding a picket, as it is out of keeping with parts 5 and 6 of the Article 5 of the Law “On mass events in Belarus”.

26.04.2009 Riot policemen against participants of “Chernobyl Way” in Minsk

Minsk riot policemen prevented holding peaceful rally “Chernobyl Way” in the centre of Minsk.

The spot near the Academy of Sciences was a sanctioned assembly point for participants. At the noon about a thousand and a half protesters gathered there. Protesters raised white-red-white flags, unfurled streamers “We oppose nuclear power station construction in Belarus”, “No to new Chernobyl”, “Return us our welfare benefits”, “No to chemical Chernobyl”, “No to toxic chemicals plant near Minsk”, “We are against nuclear reactor”. Dozens of white-red-white flags and flags of the European Union were fluttering.

23.04.2009 Activist Mikhail Ilyin gets 10 days of prison

Brest Leninski Court has found a Young Front member Mikhail Ilyin guilty of disorderly conduct and sentenced him to 10 days of imprisonment. ‘Mr.Ilyin did not deny that he had laid a toilet and four rolls of toilet paper under the monument to Lenin in the central square of the city on 22 April. According to him, by doing this he expressed his attitude towards Communism and the existing cult of Lenin’s personality,’ said the human rights activist Raman Kisliak.

17.04.2009 Participants of Solidarity Day rally fined

According to human rights activists Uladzimir Malei and Raman Kisliak, Brest Leninski Court has fined several participants of yesterday’s Solidarity Day rally in Brest, after they had spent the night in a pre-trial prison. During the sitting of the court, youth activists Yauhen Skrabets, Uladzimir Sheleh, Natallia Hahaliuk, Katsiaryna Ishchyk and Ilaryion Kasianchuk admitted that they were holding a banner ‘Freedom to Political Prisoners’ in downtown Brest on 16 April to attract public attention to the issue. As a result they were convicted of violating the procedures of holding mass actions (Part 1 of Article 23.34 of the Administrative Code) and fined BYR 70,000 each.

17.04.2009 Activists of “European Belarus” and “Young Front” arrested in Brest

Five activists of the civil campaign “European Belarus” and six members of the “Young Front” were detained in Brest at the action on Solidarity Day.

The young people came to the central square of Brest with a banner “Freedom to Political prisoners!” and an EU flag. Some minutes later they were detained.

As activist of the civil campaign “European Belarus” Yauhen Skrabets managed to tell on phone, five activists had been guarded to a militia department.

Participants of the action of solidarity with families of the disappeared politicians were also detained in Brest.