News on the topic: freedom of peaceful assembly
10.12.2008 Hrodna: detention of journalist Ivan Roman
On 10 December in Hrodna the police detained independent journalist Ivan Roman and guarded him to Leninski district police department. The detention took place while he was implementing his professional duties at an action of the local human rights activists, dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The journalist showed to the policemen his badge, but it did not stop them.
10.12.2008 KGB warns lyceum pupils
On 9 December a KGB officer paid a visit to lyceum #7 to talk to the 18-year-old pupils Siarhei Svirydau and Artur Zaitsau. He introduced himself as Andrei and explained his visit with the necessity to warn them about the inadmissibility of participation in unregistered youth organizations.
10.12.2008 National Human Rights Award 2008
The organizing committee of Charter’97 determined nominees for National Human Rights Award 2008. Prize For Personal Courage is given to Alexander Barazenka, Andrei Kim, Siarhei Parsiukevich, and Halina Yubko. Yuliya Darashkevich won in the nomination For Defence of Freedom of Speech Principles.
10.12.2008 Entrepreneurs declare hunger-strike against Lukashenka’s decree
On 10 December Belarusian market vendors all over the country hold a protest rally against Alexander Lukashenka’s decrees aimed at ruining their business.
10.12.2008 Brest: detention for white-red-white flag
Activists of For Freedom movement Yury Bakur and Andrei Sharenda have been detained in Brest. They hanged out a white-red-white flag on the building of Brest State pedagogical University, to mark the Human Rights Day. The huge white-red-white flag was attached to the flagpole of the Brest State pedagogical University.
10.12.2008 Hrodna: arrest of human rights activists
Human rights activists of Hrodna organized a street action dedicated to the 60th anniversary of proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Members of human rights organizations were distributing UDHR texts among Hrodna dwellers.
09.12.2008 Brest: detentions on the eve of the 60th anniversary of Universal Declaration of Human Rights
On 9 December at a mini-market in Brest the police detained Valiantsin Lazarenka and Zinaida Mikhniuk, activists of the local independent trade unions. They handed out invitations to the authorized meeting scheduled for 10 December.
08.12.2008 Trial over Barazenka: policemen beat youth leader Andrei Kim
Policemen in mufti beat the youth leader Andrei Kim near Tsentralny district court of Minsk, where the political prisoner Alexander Barazenka was tried. Kim was beaten when Barazenka was being taken out of the court and the people who came to support him started chanting ‘Freedom!’ and ‘Long Live Belarus!’ Three policemen in mufti assaulted him.
08.12.2008 Fireworks in honor of Alexander Barazenka
On 7 December, the last day before the trial, a rally of solidarity with the imprisoned activist of European Belarus campaign Ales Barazenka was held in front of the remand prison in Valadarski Street.
08.12.2008 Katsiaryna Salauyova is charged with assault on policeman
20-year-old Young Front activist Katsiaryna Salauyova, detained on 6 December after a rally of solidarity with Alexander Barazenka, has been released. However, prosecutor’s office launched a check over beating of a policeman by her.
05.12.2008 Hunger-strike on Human Rights Day
On 10 December the Young Front declares a nationwide hunger-strike to mark the end of the organization’s campaign ‘Communism must be brought to tribunal!’. As the Young Front press service informs, at first the organization intended to finish the anti-communist campaign on 8 December, the day when the USSR dissolved. However, later it was decided to postpone the end of the campaign because of the trial over the political prisoner Alexander Barazenka that will start on 10 December as well.
05.12.2008 Minsk: actions in support of Alexander Barazenka continue
Everyday at 7 p.m. young people gather near the doors of the remand prison in Valadarski street to express their solidarity with the political prisoner.
04.12.2008 Brest: civil activists are fined for protesting
On 3 December the judge of the Leninski district of Brest Andrei Vasiliuk delivered a decision to fine each of three participants of the picket in Lenin square of Brest 70 000 rubles (about $33).
03.12.2008 Signatures against construction of nuclear power plant are collected in Astravets district
Ivan Kruk and Mikola Ulasevich, members of the United Civil Party from Astravets, have started collecting signatures against construction of a nuclear power plant on the territory of Astravets district.
03.12.2008 Pickets near monuments to Lenin are banned
Minsk city executive committee didn’t permit holding a picket near a monument to Vladimir Lenin in Independence square on 8 December.
