News on the topic: freedom of peaceful assembly
14.11.2007 Aliaksandr Kazulin’s Case Submitted to PACE
On 13 November in the framework of the international campaign of solidarity with the political prisoner Aliaksandr Kazulin an address to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe was sent. As said by the former lawyer of the convicted politician, Ihar Rynkevich, the document had been prepared by the public commission ‘Free Kazulin!’
12.11.2007 Pavel Batuyeu Summonsed to Prosecutor’s Office
On 7 November in the central square of Salihorsk the youth action ‘Put Communism to Tribunal’ took place. It lasted for some 15 seconds and was violently dispersed by the police. The same day the prosecutor’s office started a check-up whether one of the action participants, Ivan Shyla, violated article 363 of the Criminal Code, ‘resistance to the police’.
12.11.2007 Nazi Provocation at Reception of Polish Embassy
The Polish Embassy held a reception in the Hastsinny Dvor restaurant in Minsk on the occasion of the Polish Independence Day of 11 November. Activists of the Union of Poles from different regions of Belarus were invited to the reception. Suddenly a dozen of people dressed in some kind of a military uniform appeared at the entrance to the restaurant and started to shout out insulting words against the guests.
09.11.2007 Yaraslau Hryshchenia Has Spine Fracture
Now Yaraslau Hryshchenia is in Dziarzhynsk hospital. The ambulance drove him there together with the driver of the minibus by which Hryshchenia was going to Baranavichy. The road was covered with ice. The car was running at 90km/h. Not far from Dziarzhynsk the car slipped to the median strip and then fell into a ditch.
09.11.2007 Authorities Worried by BRSM Members’ Participation in Opposition’s Actions
Youth remains the most problem electorate segment, and the most inconvenient part of the Belarusian opposition for the Belarusian authorities. The attention to the youth generation has especially increased since last presidential election in spring 2006.
09.11.2007 Why Mock at Participants of Halloween Celebration?
The youth activists Andrei Kim, Tatsiana Lashkarova, Yury Shalin and Valiantsin Sakalouski were arrested on 21 October for celebrating Halloween in Minsk. They were charged with ‘public moral’ offense.
08.11.2007 Salihorsk: Ivan Shyla Faces New Criminal Case?
The youth activist Ivan Shyla was detained on 7 November, during a picket in the main square of Salihorsk. Together with him the police detained several other action participants. While the district officials were lying flowers to the monument of Lenin seven persons unrolled the transparency ‘Put Communism to Tribunal’. The action lasted for 15 seconds only.
05.11.2007 Niasvizh: Police Detain ‘Young Front’ Activists for Celebrating Vitushka’s Birthday
On 5 November in Niasvizh the police detained the activists of the Young Front Zmitser Banko, Illia and Ivan Shylas and Krystsina Samoylava. Later, near the district police department, they also seized the Young Front member Andrei Tychyna.
05.11.2007 Masty: Police Take Explanations from Aliaksandr Milinkevich
On 4 November, after a street meeting with the citizens of the town of Masty, the police took the politician Aliaksandr Milinkevich to a police station and demanded from him explanations concerning the event. They wanted to know whether it wasn’t an unauthorized mass action.
05.11.2007 Authorities Proceed from Bans to Provocations
Organizers of the Social March have summed up the results of the rally that took place on 4 November. ‘The authorities have broken away from bans and have proceeded to provocations. To use force against people who offer a dialogue is immoral. Moreover, the regime depends on the European economic programs, foreign credits today, and it’s the second reason why the regime has given up such hard line methods of communication with protesters as a paddy wagon and truncheon blows on the head,’ told the deputy chairman of the Belarusian People’s Front party Viktar Ivashkevich.
05.11.2007 Police Do Not Let Regional Activists to Minsk for Social March
On the eve of the Social March, similarly to any opposition rally, policemen blocked access to Minsk for regional opposition activists. ‘Policemen in mufti tried to enter my apartment on 4 November in the morning. I didn’t open the doors to them. They were continually standing near my house till 2 p.m., when the Social March ended in Minsk. They asked neighbors about me. I even couldn’t go shopping,’ said a democratic activist from Barysau Zmitser Barodka.
05.11.2007 Participant of Halloween Celebration Transferred from Prison to Hospital
Valiantsin Sakalouski, who was sentenced to 10 days of arrest on 2 November for having taken part in celebrating Halloween in Minsk, is placed to clinical hospital #11.
03.11.2007 Verdicts to Detained for ‘Social March’ Leaflets Distribution
The court of Kastrychnitski district of Minsk sentenced the applicant for holding the Social March Mikhail Pashkevich to 3 days of arrest. A youth activist Mikalai Serhiyenka was sentenced to 15 days of arrest by the court of Partyzanski district of Minsk. Judge Natallia Chatviartkova believes that he had violated article 23.34 of the Administrative Code (violation of rules of mass events).
03.11.2007 All Detained Halloween Participants Sentenced to Arrest
Tatsiana Lashkarova was the first to get a term. The judge of Savetski district court of Minsk Liudmila Savastsian sentenced the girl to 5 days of administrative arrest. Tatsiana said that the report of detention was not true. Young people were charged with petty hooliganism. Their appearance allegedly was an ‘outrage against public morality’.
03.11.2007 ‘Perspective’ Activists Ask Permit for 19 November Meeting
According to the chair of the republican NGO Perspective Anatol Shumchanka, at present the main problems of entrepreneurs are connected with the enforcement of presidential decree #760 on 1 January 2008. Since that time individual entrepreneurs will not be able to employ workers except for close relatives. Even then the maximal number of employees is three.
