News on the topic: freedom of peaceful assembly
15.07.2008 Riot police disperse action in support of arrested public activists. Anatol Liabedzka is beaten
On 14 July an action demanding to release opposition activists, unlawfully arrested after the blast in Minsk on 4 July, was dispersed at Kastrychnitskaya Square in Minsk. More than 50 people came to the square with portraits of political prisoners, and unfurled national Belarusian and EU flags. More than 100 riot policemen were thrown against the participants of the action.
09.07.2008 Minsk authorities ban assembly of the initiative for return of social guarantees
Minsk city executive committee banned the assembly of the Initiative group for realization of the right of legal initiative for introduction of amendments and supplements to the law On the state social benefits and guarantees to certain categories of citizens. The initiative group consists of hundreds of pensioners, disabled, students, workers and clergymen, who intend to struggle for the social guarantees which were liquidated by the state authorities in the beginning of 2008.
02.07.2008 Minsk: authorities ban pickets of solidarity with political prisoner Kazulin
The Minsk local authorities forbade holding of pickets of solidarity with political prisoner Alexander Kazulin, former presidential candidate.
20.06.2008 Protest rally against extortions in prisons
Today Ales Kasach came out on Kastrychnitskaya Square with a poster with the aim to attract attention of the regime to arbitrariness of Shklou colony’s staff, but policemen expelled him away from the square immediately.
13.06.2008 Anatol Liabedzka to pay for ‘European March’?
The court of Tsentralny district of Minsk informed Anatol Liabedzka, chairman of the United Civil Party, about the beginning of the procedure of exacting 2 242 770 rubles for the benefit of the Horremautador, enterprise of Minsk city execute committee. The court considered this sum equal to the harm which had been allegedly inflicted to the enterprise by participants of the European March. In the case he does not pay the whole sum in the due time (seven days) Liabedzka’s property can be confiscated by court marshals.
13.06.2008 Polatsk: Dzianis Khaberau taken to police station again
On 13 June the Dzianis Khaberau, activist of the Young Front, was taken to the police station again. A report for repeated participation in unauthorized action is drawn on him.
12.06.2008 Youth activists beaten by riot squad police at ‘Beatles’ Festival’
During the musical festival ‘Beatles Forever’ which was held in Lahoisk on Saturday, 7 June, several youngsters raised white-red-white flags. Several minutes after this raged riot squad policemen burst into the crowd and started beating the youngsters, among whom there was an activist of the Young Front Vadzim Khaniauka.
12.06.2008 Polatsk: police detain activists of ‘Young Front’
On 11 June in Polatsk the police detained five activists of the Young Front: Mikalai Dzemidzenka, Siarzhuk Karalionak, Ales Khaberau, Ales Krutkin and Katsiaryna Salauyova for unfurling a banner ‘Stop dictatorship’ opposite Polatsk city executive committee.
12.06.2008 Minsk: action of solidarity with Ivan Shyla
An action of solidarity with Ivan Shyla has been held today in the center of Minsk. On 4 June, before his last final exam, Ivan Shyla was expelled from a secondary school because of public activism.
10.06.2008 Polastk: political views as obstacle to becoming a honors man
An activist of the Young Front Zmitser Sakalou, the best graduate of Polatsk Lyceum, has been deprived a diploma with honors because of his political convictions.
06.06.2008 Authorities trying to placate protesting patients of tuberculosis hospital
The conflict in Bahusheuski oblast tuberculosis hospital in Vitsebsk region, is acquiring a greater publicity. The authorities are trying to calm the protests down by attempts to placate the most active protesters.
05.06.2008 Hrodna: Human rights activist fined for waving white-red-white flag
5 June Leninski district court of Hrodna found the human rights activist Viktar Sazonau and the chairman of Hrodna oblast branch of the United Civil Party Yury Istomin guilty under Article 23.34 of the Administrative Code (violation of the rules for organizing and holding mass events) and sentenced them to large fines.
05.06.2008 White-red-white flags over Nezalezhnastsi Avenue
Today morning at 7.30 a.m. 6 white-red-white flags were fluttering on the bridge over the Svislach River not far from Peramohi Square in Minsk.
05.06.2008 Viachaslau Siwchyk sentenced to 10 days of jail
On 4 June Judge of Minsk region Vyachaslau Tuleika sentenced the chairman of the Memorial branch of the Belarusian Voluntary Society of History and Culture Monuments Protection Viachaslau Siwchyk to 10 days of administrative arrest.
04.06.2008 Kurapaty: 20 years after discovery
On 3 June 1988 the Belarusians learnt the truth about Stalin’s repressions in the country through an article Kurapaty –the Road of Death in the Litaratura i Mastatstva newspaper, written by Zianon Pazniak and Yauhen Shmyhaliou. This article also provoked one of the first mass protest action in the USSR – people came to Kurapaty on Dziady (the day of the dead).
