News on the topic: freedom of peaceful assembly
01.12.2011 Argentinian human rights defenders demand freedom for Bialiatski
Delegation of COMITÉ DE ACCIÓN JURÍDICA (CAJ), a member organization of the International Federation for Human Rights, held an action in front of the Embassy of Belarus in Buenos-Aires, Argentina, on 25 November, the day after the announcement of the verdict to Ales Bialiatski.
01.12.2011 Navapolatsk: picket banned four times
Members of the Belarusian Independent Trade Union from the “Naftan” plant have received a fourth ban on holding a picket aimed at informing Navapolatsk citizens about the refusal of the plant administration to conclude a collective agreement with the independent trade union.
01.12.2011 Brest: police pay interest to prayers for Belarus
Several prayers for Belarus have taken place in Brest. Nobody was detained at them, but the police put down the personal data of their participations every time.
01.12.2011 Aftermath of People's Assemblies: Homel activists appeal against fines and arrests
On 30 November Valery Sliapukhin, a coordinator of the civil campaign “Tell the Truth!” filed an appeal with the Supreme Court. The activists disagrees with the rulings of the Chyhunachny District Court of Homel (according to which he was sentenced to a fine of 1,4 mln Belarusian rubles for “violation of the rules of conduct of mass events”) and the Homel Regional Court (which upheld the previous verdict).
01.12.2011 Orsha: human rights defenders appeal against picket ban
Orsha-based human rights defenders Vasil Berasneu and Vasil Leuchankau filed appeals with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Vitsebsk Regional Procuracy. They state that their freedom of expression, guaranteed by Article 35 of the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus, was violated by the picket ban issued by the the Orsha City Executive Committee.
30.11.2011 Slonim authorities ban picket in support of Ales Bialiatski
Slonim district executive committee has banned a picket of solidarity with imprisoned Viasna leader Ales Bialiatski, referring to the absence of authorized locations for holding such events.
28.11.2011 Sign a petition for the release of Ales Bialiatski!
Representatives of the Belarusian civil society, who have publicly denounced the illegal conviction of human rights defender Ales Bialiatski, call upon their colleagues, ordinary citizens and international community to support the imprisoned activist and request his immediate release.
15.11.2011 Babruisk: police warn Alena Toustsik
Alena Toustsik, one of the detained at the commemorative action held on 2 November, has been invited to a meeting with the police during two last days. The woman refused to meet, as her 2.5-year-old child was ill with bronchitis.
15.11.2011 Minsk: imprisonment for People’s Assembly
Aliaksandr Piatnitski was detained after the end of the People’s Assembly held in Minsk on 12 November. He was charged with insubordination to lawful demands of police officers (Article 23.34 of the Code of Administrative Violations) and sentenced to 10 days of arrest.
15.11.2011 Charged in absentia
Civil activists Palina and Pavel Kuryianovichs were mailed copies of the violation reports which had been drawn up in their absence. According to these documents, they are charged under Article 23.34 (violation of the rules of conduct of mass events) on 26 October.
15.11.2011 Homel: participant of People’s Assembly gets dismissed from work
Train driver and public activist Dzmitry Karashkou was fired from the Homel Railcar Repair Plant on 14 November.
14.11.2011 Lukashenka signs a law which bans any protests
The new draconian law bans any protest rallies, including flash-mobs.
14.11.2011 Orsha: executive committee improves the quality of water in non-existent village
A People's Assembly was held in Orsha on 8 October. Orsha residents adopted a number of demands to the local authorities, including the improvement of the quality of drinking water in Orsha and its district.
14.11.2011 Vitsebsk: Tatsiana Seviarynets treated as an old offender already
On 8 October Tatsiana Seviarynets, Vitsebsk coordinator of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party, held the People's Assembly in Vitsebsk. On 26 October the police charged her with the “organization of an unauthorized mass event”. Two weeks later they also recalled that she had committed this “offense” repeatedly. That's why on 11 November they came to her home in order to draw a new violation report.
14.11.2011 People's Assembly: chronicle of persecution
On 12 November the second People's Assembly was held in many cities and towns of Belarus. Some of its participants were detained preventively, and some others – during the assembly.
