15.10.2009 ‘Santa Clauses’ surrender to prosecutor’s office on grounds of Article 193.1

Members of the liquidated Human Rights Center Viasna were among those who took part in the procession of Santa Clauses to the office of the prosecutor general of Belarus. By this unusual representatives of many unregistered civil associations wanted to remind the authorities about Article 193.1 of the Criminal Code that envisages criminal persecution for activities on behalf of unregistered organizations.

15.10.2009 Uladzimir Katsora demands to punish police perjurers

On 14 October the head of Homel branch of the For Freedom movement Uladzimir Katsora addressed Homel oblast prosecutor’s office with the demand to instigate a criminal case against the police officers who had drawn up on him deceitful reports following his detention on 16 September. Later Katsora and some other democratic activists of Homel were fined by court on the basis of these documents.

15.10.2009 BSDP ‘Hramada’ lost its Minsk office

The Belarusian Social Democratic Party Hramada was obliged to vacate the premises by verdict of the Supreme Court. BelaPAN learnt about this the from deputy head of the party Anatol Sidarevich.

12.10.2009 ‘Young Front’ activist tried in absentia for ‘Communism = Fascism’ picket

Hanna Bunko was fined 175 000 rubles for a picket dedicated to the 70th anniversary of signing Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact.

12.10.2009 Supreme Court turned down claim of Belarusian Party of Workers

The court refused to consider a claim of the founder of the Belarusian Party of Workers (BPW) against the Ministry of Justice which suspended the process of the party registration.

09.10.2009 UCP member Andrei Bandarenka sentenced to seven years of imprisonment

The party leaders believe it is a ‘political sentence’ Despite the absence of sufficient evidence of misappropriation of 20 million rubles.The former independent MP candidate and businessman was sentenced by Pershamaiski district court to 7 years of imprisonment with property confiscation

07.10.2009 BCD Party denied premises for founding congress

The organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy party has received the first refusals of premises for holding the founding congress.

07.10.2009 Anatol Liabedzka detained on Belarusian border

The leader of the United Civil Party Anatol Liabedzka was detained after a personal search on the Belarusian-Lithuanian border in the morning of 7 October. As he said to the BelaPAN, Belarusian border guards became interested in his documents and then asked to show a customs declaration. After that the UCP leader was searched.

06.10.2009 Anonymous black PR action against Zmitser Dashkevich

Portraits of Young Front leader Zmitser Dashkevich calling to beware of ‘blighter of infant souls’ has recently appeared in Minsk.

01.10.2009 Vitsebsk: police order beating of youth activist

On 30 September in the evening in the center of Vitsebsk the member of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party Ales Halavan was attacked by five persons. The member of the Conservative-Christian Party Belarusian Popular Front (CCP BPF) Siarhei Kavalenia managed to seize one of them. The seized man said that the beating of Halavan was ordered by Vitsebsk police as a revenge for the complaint that was filed by Halavan with the head of Chyhunachny district police department of Vitsebsk against the unlawful actions of police officers.

30.09.2009 Oppositionist spent two hours in militia department for spreading anti-crisis leaflets

Militia confiscated information materials for “expert examination” from Vasil Palyakou, an activist of the United Civil Party from Homel.

On September 29, Ryma Yastremskaya, the ideology deputy head of the Rahachou district executive committee, and a group of people detained head of the UCP Homel region branch Vasil Palyakou, Radio Svaboda reports.

The oppositionist was handing round leaflets calling the local authorities to return privileges for travelling by community transport to pensioners, students, schoolchildren, and physically disabled.

25.09.2009 Oppositionists detained for graffiti “No to corruption!”

In Baranavichy policemen detained tow activists of the Young Front Maxim Akhremenka and Andrei Pershyk.

Young activists were detained for making graffiti. “No to corruption!” was spray-painted on the wall of Baranavichy plant of machine tools and professional equipment, the website www.mfront.net informs.

The oppositionists were taken to the police department and reports were drawn up against them. Trials in the administrative cases against the young activists of the Young Front are to take place in a month.

24.09.2009 Mahiliou city authorities to evict local BPF office?

Mahiliou Regional Economic Court has finished considering the lawsuit brought against the Belarusian Popular Front’s local office by the city housing and utilities department. The officials demanded to evict the party and charge it with BYR 5 mln. of rent. However, the court suggested soliciting a truce, since the department failed to serve the party a notice of assessment before suing it.

23.09.2009 Belarusian Helsinki Committee to consider dispersals of peaceful rallies with Ministry of Interior

In his interview with the BelaPAN news agency, Aleh Hulak, head of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, said that the NGO had addressed Minister of the Interior Anatol Kuliashou with a proposition to hold a meeting to consider the complicated situation with the systematic violent dispersals of peaceful opposition rallies. ‘The Belarusian Helsinki Committee members believe that the dispersals and the use of violence against peaceful demonstrators by the police are unlawful, abusing their right to the freedom of assembly. We think that a meeting with Mr.Kuliashou will be the most efficient means of addressing the situation in the field of freedom of peaceful assembly’ said Mr.Hulak.

22.09.2009 Vitsebsk BPF office members protest against rally restrictions

Kastus Smolikau, head of the BPF’s Vitsebsk regional office, has lodged a complaint with Vitsebsk Regional Prosecutor’s Office, urging the local authorities to reverse the restrictions on demonstrations procedures. The activist says the decision by Vitsebsk city authorities is unlawful, since it restricts the right to freedom of peaceful assembly, by limiting the number of authorized locations for holding mass actions to three places on the outskirts of the city. Besides, the decision fails to regulate indoor meetings, which, in reality, is a ban on holding such assemblies.