23.12.2009 Property of oppositionist distrained for rally on Independence Day

On December 22 the leader of Haradok branch of the Belarusian Popular Front party Leanid Autukhou was visited by and officer of the court and two attesting witnesses.

They informed that they were going to distrain Autukhou’s property as the oppositionist failed to pay a fine to the court for organizing an allegedly unsanctioned rally, Radio Svaboda informs.

16.12.2009 Hary Pahaniayla: ‘The state cannot be forced to commit murders itself’

Hary Pahaniayla, lawyer of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, expressed his view against the death penalty, in the framework of the campaign ‘Human Rights Activists against the Death Penalty in Belarus.’

15.12.2009 Supreme Court turns down lawsuit of Belarusian Party of Workers against Ministry of Justice

As said to the BelaPAN by the leader of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Party of Workers Aliaksandr Bukhvostau, on 15 December the Supreme Court of Belarus didn’t grant the lawsuit of the party concerning its’ non-registration by the Ministry of Justice.

15.12.2009 Minsk court reversed verdict to Andrei Bandarenka

The College Board of Minsk city court reversed the verdict of the Pershamaiski district court concerning the case of Andrei Bandarenka. The reason is that not all of the case materials have been examined and the court showed a tendentious approach during the trial. The case was returned to the Pershamaiski district court for the second trial. Bandarenka’s lawyer Zmitser Layeuski does not rule out that the trial can take place in January.

15.12.2009 Medical commission recognizes Franak Viachorka unfit for military service

The medics found the forcefully drafted opposition activist has stage 2 hypertension with a risk to deteriorate to stage 3 hypertension.

10.12.2009 Belarusian Christian Democracy denied registration once again

On 9 December the Justice Ministry denied state registration to the Belarusian Christian Democracy party for the second time this year.

09.12.2009 Police confiscated books from Dashkevich’s apartment after his abduction

Policemen seized about 50 books and 200 leaflets from an apartment of the Young Front leader.

08.12.2009 Delegation of human rights defenders in Geneva

The head of the Human Rights Center Viasna Ales Bialiatski, the deputy head of Viasna Valiantsin Stefanovich and the head of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee Aleh Hulak have come to Zheneva within the frames of preparation to presentation at the UN Human Rights Council of the Universal Periodical Report on Belarus.

08.12.2009 BCD activist Yury Kazak faces criminal charges

On 7 December in Navahradak the activist of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party Yury Kazak was given official charges under Article 339, part 1 of the Criminal Code – hooliganism. The reason for it was his detention on 7 November, the day of October Revolution, when somebody smeared the local monument to Lenin with green paint.

08.12.2009 BCD activist Ales Halavan decided not to return to Belarus

After participation in a the seminar of Young Christian Democrats in RigaAles Halavan, 27-year-old Vitsebsk activist of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party, a leader of the youth democratic coalition of Vitsebsk region, left in the hotel his passport and a written statement of his decision not to return to Belarus.

07.12.2009 Statement by the Human Rights Center Viasna concerning the kidnapping of civil activists

The Human Rights Center Viasna would like to express its deep concern over the purposeful kidnappings of youth activists by representatives of security and law enforcement agencies. Over the past year, a number of leaders and activists of Belarusian youth organizations and movements, including Artur Finkevich, Nasta Palazhanka, Dzianis Karnou, Uladzimir Lemesh, Zmitser Dashkevich and Yauhen Afnahel, have been repeatedly kidnapped by representatives of security and law enforcement agencies.

07.12.2009 Homel: authorities ban human rights picket

Homel human rights defender Leanid Sudalenka and member of the BPF Party Anatol Paplauny have applied to Homel city executive committee for the authorization of the picket dated to the 61st anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

07.12.2009 Youth leaders Dashkevich and Afnahel kidnapped by unidentified persons

Zmitser Dashkevich, Young Front leader, was seized by unknown persons in mufti when he was opening the doors of his apartment.

04.12.2009 Nastassia Mashchava fined for taking photos of performance

The Young Belarus activist Nastassia Mashchava was fined 1 050 000 rubles by the Zavadski district court of Minsk.

04.12.2009 ‘Young Front’ activist Ivan Shyla unexpectedly released from army

The leader of the Young Front branch in Salihorsk, forcefully drafted into the army, has been exempt from military service on decision of the Central Military Medical Board. Ivan Shyla left the military unit in the village of Mezhytsa at 5 p.m. on 3 December. As the website saligorsk.org notes, the youth activist has been transferred to the army reserves.