14.05.2008 Last four figurants of the ‘case of fourteen’ to be tried 23 May

23 May the trial in the case of participants of the protest rally of market vendors is to continue in the court of Tsentralny district of Minsk.

08.05.2008 Young Democrats collect signatures for installment of memorial shield to Zakharanka

Yury Zakharanka, former minister of internal affairs, was kidnapped 7 May 1999. The Young Democrats marked this mournful date by collecting signatures for installment of a memorial shield to Yury Zakharanka on the wall of the house in Zhukouski Street, 9, where he used to live.

08.05.2008 Action of United Civil Party in place of Zakharanka’s kidnap

8 May in Mahiliouskaya Street in Minsk, in the place where the ex-minister of internal affairs Yury Zakharanka had been kidnapped nine years ago, activists of the United Civil Party including its chairman Anatol Liabedzka have carried out an action in his memory.

08.05.2008 Coordinator of Charter’97 Zmitser Bandarenka proposes to boycott the elections

‘The regime has given up on dialogue and democratization by unleashing a real terror against political opposition and the civil society. That is why the democratic forces are to start realization of a different strategy,’ believes the coordinator of the Charter’97 Zmitser Bandarenka.

08.05.2008 European Belarus’ action in support of political prisoners

3 May activists of the civil campaign European Belarus hung out national flags and banners in the Zakhad suburb of Minsk, calling to release political prisoners Aliaksandr Kazulin, Andrei Kim and Siarhei Parsiukevich.

07.05.2008 Minsk authorities ban picket in memory of Yury Zakharanka

Sviatlana Zavadskaya, widow of kidnapped ORT TV channel operator Zmitser Zavadski, received a refusal from the deputy head of Minsk city executive committee to her application on holding a picket in Minsk on 7 May, dedicated to the 9th anniversary of disappearance of General Yury Zakharanka.

05.05.2008 Artist Ales Pushkin gets fined for congratulations on 90th anniversary of Belarusian People’s Republic

3 May the judge of Krupki district court Andrei Siz fined the well-known Belarusian artist Ales Pushkin 875 000 rubles (about 411 US dollars) for congratulating the local citizens on the 90th anniversary of the Belarusian People’s Republic. Pushkin was found guilty of insubordinations to the lawful demands of the police (Article 23.4 of the Administrative Code) and violation of the order of organizing or holding mass actions (Article 23.34).

05.05.2008 Raman Kisliak appeals to the Supreme Court against unlawful detention

27 September 2007 Maskouski district court of Brest found the human rights activist Raman Kisliak guilty under Article 23.34, part 1 of the Administrative Code (participation in unauthorized action) and fined him 62 000 rubles (29 US dollars).

05.05.2008 Police prohibit handing out non-state press

3 May is celebrated as the Universal Day of Press. At 12 a.m. representatives of the United Democratic Forces (including members of the Belarusian Popular Front party, the United Civil Party, the Party of Communists Belarusian, etc.) gathered near the Main Post Office in Minsk to mark this day by handing out to passers-by the officially registered non-state newspapers: Narodnaya Volia, Nasha Niva and Tovarishch. Bear in mind, that the state retail and subscription monopolist on press Belsayuzdruk, neither sells these newspapers, nor provides subscription to them, all because of their ‘oppositional’ content.

05.05.2008 Vitsebsk: politically motivated warnings to minors

The commission on the cases of minors of Pershamaiski district executive committee of Vitsebsk has issued warnings to the 17-year-old pupils of school #38, Krystsina and Viktoryia Chyzh, after the sisters were detained on 16 April, at an action of solidarity with political prisoners.

05.05.2008 Baranavichy: Young Front activists get fined

Yaraslau Hryshchenia, leader of the Baranavichy Young Front branch, activist Artsiom Lastavetski and Ales Pershak, detained ahead of 1 May, had administrative trials in Baranavichy on 2 May.

02.05.2008 Mikola Statkevich sentenced to 10 days of jail

2 May judge Yury Harbatok sentenced Mikola Statkevich to 10 days of jail for participation in Labor Day action.

02.05.2008 1 May action brings detentions and arrests

About 30 activists of the civil campaign European Belarus were detained yesterday near the National Library in Minsk suburb Uruccha where pro-regime trade unions were celebrating May Day. Among the detained are Yauhen Afnahel, Andrei Babitski, Zmitser Barodka, the Young Front leaders Zmitser Dashkevich, Artur Finkevich, Zmitser Khvedaruk, and chairman of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Narodnaya Hramada) Mikola Statkevich.

30.04.2008 Artist Ales Pushkin tried for EU flag in Bobr village

Famous artist Ales Pushkin is to have trial at 11.00am on 3 May. He will be tried for a performance dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the Belarusian National Republic.

28.04.2008 Minsk city court fails to satisfy complaint of Natalia Yasevich

On April 25th Minsk city court heard the complaint filed by Natalia Yasevich, mother of Young Front member Zmitser Yasevich. Natalia was accused of participation in the freedom march on March 25th.

On the Freedom Day Natalia Yasevich, when she saw the detained and beaten young people, asked to go with them in a police truck to accompany them to the police station. However, when the police truck arrived at Partyzanski district police station, the police charged Natalia with participation in an unauthorized rally. Natalia spent the night in Akrestsina detention center. The next day the court fined her 30 basic units.