News on the topic: freedom of peaceful assembly
16.01.2008 Police interrogate entrepreneur Maya Sinayskaya
One more action participant detained by police
16.01.2008 Trial over Mahiliou activist Valadar Tsurpanau to continue today
The activist is charged with organizing entrepreneurs’ rally on January 10th.
15.01.2008 More Than 50% of Individual Entrepreneurs Have Taken Part in 2-week Strike
‘About 50-60% of Belarusian entrepreneurs supported the strike. In Minsk only about 40% worked,’ said the leader of the campaign For Free Development of Business Viktar Harbachou.
15.01.2008 Entrepreneur Ales Taustyka Sentenced to 15 Days of Jail
On 15 January the police detained the activist of For Freedom movement, entrepreneur Ales Taustyka near his house. Then he was guarded to Tsentralny district court of Minsk and sentenced to 15 days of jail for active participation in the protest action of entrepreneurs on 10 December.
15.01.2008 Oppositional Parties Answer to Justice Ministry
In the press-release of the Ministry of Justice of 12 January 2008 it was stated that during the unauthorized meeting of entrepreneurs the Belarusian legislation on mass actions was grossly violated. The participation of the leaders of the United Civil Party, the BPF Party and the Party of Communists Belarusian was mentioned as well. The Ministry demanded from the parties to answer whether they empowered their leaders to take part in the action and express their public position concerning this in the case they did not.
15.01.2008 Patients of Tuberculosis Hospital Stop Hunger-strike
Patients of the Republican Tuberculosis Hospital in Navayelnia (Dziatlava district, Hrodna oblast) have stopped the hunger strike, but continue seeking other ways to express their protest.
14.01.2008 Vitsebsk: Entrepreneur Shapavalau Detained
On 13 January the deputy chair of the republican NGO Perspective Anatol Shapavalau was guarded to Chyhunachny district police department of Vitsebsk. There the policemen composed on him a report for participation in the unauthorized action of protest which took place in Minsk on 10 December. Then the entrepreneur was let go. So, the authorities persecute regional participants of the protest action (about 30 entrepreneurs came to Minsk from Vitsebsk to take part in the action).
14.01.2008 Aliaksandr Makayeu Declares Hunger-strike
On 12 January 2008 the entrepreneur Aliaksandr Makayeu was sentenced to 15 days of jail for alleged ‘dirty swearing’. He was detained after a meeting with the head of Minsk police Aliaksandr Naidzenka, at which he discussed the conditions of incarceration of entrepreneurs in prison in Akrestsin Street. After a short talk Makayeu was forcedly taken to Maskouski district police department of Minsk (where a report under article 17.1 was drawn) and then – to court. Makayeu managed to tell his wife Khrystsina that he announced a hunger-strike of protest against such lawlessness.
14.01.2008 Salihorsk District Court Abolishes Huge Fines to Youth Activists
On 11 January the judge Lapina ruled to abolish all four rulings of the administrative commissions according to which the youth activist Khrystsina Samoilava was to have paid 2 480 000 rubles fine (about 1 154 USD). The rulings were found unlawful. The administrative case will consider the same materials against the Young Front activist Samoilava again. In her complaints and speech Khrystsina pointed at gross law violations during her detention, drawing of the police reports and consideration of her case by the administrative commission of Salihorsk town executive committee.
14.01.2008 Criminal Case Brought on 10 December Action
The prosecutor’s office of Minsk has considered materials concerning the fact of organizing and holding of an unsanctioned meeting and process in Kastrychnitskaya Square and the central streets of Minsk on 10 January 2008 and stated that during its holding the public order was grossly violated and group actions associated with insubordination to lawful demands of the authorities and interruption of the city traffic.’
14.01.2008 Baranavichy: Court Upholds Prohibition of Pickets against Repeal of Social Benefits
On 11 January the court of Baranavichy and Baranavichy district turned down the suit of an activist of the united democratic forces, member of the Party of Communists Belarusian, engineer Viktar Tsiapin against the ruling of Baranavichy city executive committee concerning the order of holding mass actions in the region.
14.01.2008 Journalists Seized for Interview with Oppositional Politician
After an interview with the member of the United Civil Party, an economist Pavel Daneika, the police seize the journalists Uladzimir and Halina Samoilaus and a cameraman Valery Buldyk. After the arrest and search policemen confiscated their equipment.
14.01.2008 Authorities Demand Explanations from Political Parties
The Justice Ministry of Belarus has demanded explanations from the United Civil Party, the Party of Communists Belarusian and Belarusian People’s Front concerning the participation of their leaders in the unsanctioned protest rally of small businessman on 10 January. Such explanations must be given to the ministry by 14 January.
14.01.2008 Authorities Liquidate Entrepreneurs’ Association ‘Perspective’
The Ministry of Justice has sued to the Supreme Court for liquidation of the republican NGO Perspective. In the report placed at the web site of the ministry on 12 January it is stated that ‘a meeting of entrepreneurs was held on 10 January in Minsk. Among others, the leader of the republican public association Perspective Anatol Shumchanka has taken an active part in the meeting’.
14.01.2008 Entrepreneur Siarhei Parsiukevich Sentenced to 15 Days of Jail
Siarhei Parsiukevich was arrested for 15 days for participation on the unauthorized rally of entrepreneurs on 10 January. The activist of the entrepreneurs’ movement Siarhei Parsiukevich from Vitsebsk has had a trial in the court of Tsentralny district of Minsk today, RFE/RL reports.