News on the topic: freedom of peaceful assembly
10.08.2011 Ten days of arrest for solidarity with political prisoner Dashkevich
On 9 August Raman Vasiliieu was sentenced to ten days of arrest for participation in the picket of solidarity with political prisoner Zmitser Dashkevich that had been held on 2 August in the town of Horki.
10.08.2011 Young Democrats held an action of support to Ales Bialiatski
Several activists of the organization Young Democrats pasted in the underpass under Yakub Kolas Square portraits of the arrested human rights activist, leaflets with information about his prosecution and the slogan Freedom to Ales Bialiatski. They also set a box to collect funds to support him.
08.08.2011 Journalist Tatsiana Shaputska sentenced to 10 days of arrest
Tatsiana Shaputska, a journalist of the Novy Chas newspaper, who had been detained in Horki, was sentenced to10 days of administrative arrest.
03.08.2011 Navapolatsk authorities changed their ruling on mass events to ban picket in support of Mikita Likhavid
On 18 July democratic activists, including members of the Belarusian Popular Front Party, the For Freedom movement and the Human Rights Center Viasna applied to the Navapolatsk Town Executive Committee with the request to authorize a picket in support of political prisoner Mikita Likhavid who is subject to constant pressurization in jail.
03.08.2011 General Procuracy finished check-up on appeal of European Radio journalists
Nasta Mantsevich, Pavel Sviardlou and Andrei Yeliseyeu, journalists for the European Radio for Belarus which has an official accreditation in Belarus, suffered from unlawful actions of people in mufti during the silent protest actions that were held in Minsk in June-July. Pavel Sviardlou was detained twice.
03.08.2011 Horki: action in support of political prisoner Zmitser Dashkevich ended with detentions
About 30 people arrived to the colony in Horki on 2 August. They demanded that political prisoner Zmitser Dashkevich was allowed to meet with his lawyer. The colony's administration refuses to let the lawyer in until receiving a corresponding request from Dashkevich himself.
01.08.2011 Mazyr authorities ban picket in support of Mikita Likhavid
Ales Kavalchuk and Ryhor Kryvitski, civil activists from Mazyr, applied to the Mazyr District Executive Committee to obtain permission for holding a picket in support of political prisoner Mikita Likhavid who is subject to constant pressurization in jail.
27.07.2011 Most poorly attended silent action
About 20 people have come to the Kamarouski market at 13.00 in Minsk. No detentions have been reported so far.
26.07.2011 Baranavichy authorities ban picket
Baranavichy activist of the United Civil Party Ryhor Hryk will not be able to hold a picket on 30 July, after local authorities dismissed his application.
19.07.2011 Mono-picket against "homophobia of the authorities" in Minsk
Its participant Natallia Pradzed, who held a poster saying "SHOS", was detained.
15.07.2011 Navapolatsk: “silent protesters” punished with fines
The Navapolatsk Town Court considered the administrative cases of the civil activists detained during the silent protest action on 13 July.
15.07.2011 Salihorsk: Young Front activist Ivan Shyla sentenced to 8 days of arrest
Ivan Shyla, Deputy Chair of the Young Front, was detained on 13 July in the evening in the town supermarket. The hearings on his case started at the Salihorsk District Court Yesterday, but were postponed to 15 July after he demanded to be provided with advocatory services.
14.07.2011 Journalist Aleh Hruzdzilovich tells about circumstances of his detention
"I saw two policemen among the detained in the police bus. The people in the bus also thought that they were detainees. They asked them: “What have you been detained for?” And they joked: “Oh! We went out to drink some beer – and we got detained”. They lied to those people. It turned out that they were [policemen when we reached the police office. They are placed in police buses to prevent people from escaping if necessary. They were doing their job”
14.07.2011 Chronicle of 13 July protests in Minsk: people are sentenced to arrest
Policemen and people in mufti controlled the main places of gathering of protesters: the supermarkets Eurapeiski, Ryha, Chkalauski, Belarus, Karona and Niamiha. The Belarusian Internet providers temporary blocked the access to the social network Vkontakte all over Belarus.
14.07.2011 13 July silent protests in Belarusian regions
The format of the silent protest actions was changed (their participants were advised not to clap their hands, just to walk silently and set the alarm clock of their mobile phones to 8 p.m. to mark the end of the action). However, the places of gathering remained the same, which gave the law machinery the opportunity to prepare to them. The central squares of many Belarusian towns were fenced with iron tourniquets or blocked by the police.
