02.04.2009 Opposition filed application for sanctioning Charnobyl Way 2009

The organizing committee of the action filed an application to the Minsk city executive committee on 2 April. According to RFE/RL, the committee consists of leaders of the Belarusian Popular Front party Liavon Barshcheuski, Vintsuk Viachorka and Viktar Ivashkevich, head of the United Civil Party Anatol Liabedzka, and chairman of the Party of Communists of Belarus Siarhei Kaliakin.

01.04.2009 Pavel Seviarynets’ mother is harassed by tax inspection

The well-known Vitsebsk activist Tatsiana Seviarynets suddenly started receiving telephone calls. The people who called her referred to the advertisement in the newspaper Iz Ruk v Ruki about the services of a private tutor. However, the woman didn’t put any ads in the newspaper. In the text of the ad it was specified that the services were expensive. Who and why did it?

31.03.2009 Youth leader Ivan Shyla refused the right to education

Leader of the Salihorsk branch of “Young Front” Ivan Shyla, who didn’t complete secondary education and was forcefully drafted into the army, has been refused the right to education.

Father of the young man wrote to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Belarus asking to allow his son to take a final exam for secondary school and received a negative answer, the website saligorsk.org writes.

26.03.2009 Alyaksandr Barazenka remains under house arrest

On March 25, militia officer of the Frunzenski district of Minsk Kisel visited activist of the civil campaign “European Belarus” Alyaksandr Barazenka at the evening check and said the latter needed to go to the militia department.

The militiaman said he was a probation officer and had the right to detain him at any moment,” Radio Svaboda reports.

24.03.2009 Vitsebsk authorities ban 25 March demonstration

Vitsebsk City Executive Committee has banned the 25 Freedom Day action organized by the Belarusian Popular Front’s local activists. In its reply to the application by the BPF’s Vitsebsk City Office, the local authorities said the requested location was not meant for holding mass actions and thus put a ban on the rally.

24.03.2009 Ideologists pressurize Belarusian Christian Democracy

According the Belarusian Christian Democracy’s press-service, one of the co-founders of the movement Kira Chuk was threatened with dismissal by her employer in case she did not withdraw her signature. She was also forced to write an explanation concerning her participation in the constituent congress of the BCD. The administration of Mahiliou Car Plant say there could be only one party at the enterprise – the pro-government Belaya Rus. Kira Chuk says her contract expires in December 2009 and her employer is not likely to extend it. Besides, she fears her political activity may result in certain financial claims.

24.03.2009 Military court finds Viachorka’s draft legal

On 23 March Minsk Intergarrison Tribunal turned down the claim by the youth opposition leader Franak Viachorka and found his conscription legal, including the events that took place on 16 February when the activist was beaten and forcefully escorted to the local military enlistment and registration office. His draft was later suspended by a court decision. However, two days later Viachorka was detained by the police and taken to a military unit in Baranavichy.

18.03.2009 Controversial decision by Prosecutor’s Office: every law has a loophole

The politically motivated draft of a number of youth activists brought forth several extremely disputable legal issues, e.g. the arrest of Zmitser Khvedaruk on 28 January, resulting in his imprisonment for participating in the 1 May rally in Minsk. Article 13.6 of the Code of Civil Procedure specifies the terms of the enforcement of administrative sentences – 3 months. Thus, the imprionment of Zmitser Khvedaruk appears to be illegal, since it started over 8 months after the verdict was passed. Considering the above-mentioned fact, Khvedaruk’s lawyer Pavel Sapelka lodged a complaint against the detention with Minsk Pershamaiski Prosecutor’s Office.

16.03.2009 Detention in Vitsebsk

On 15 March Vitsebsk police detained youth activist Kastus Ivanou as he was distributing leaflets in the town center. The action marking the Constitution Day was to draw public attention to the provisions of the Fundamental Law, which guarantee the right to receive true information, the right to freedom of assembly and free expression of political convictions. The leaflets featured a number of facts of abuse of the above-mentioned rights in Belarus, in Vitsebsk, in particular.

13.03.2009 Supreme Court turns down lawsuit of ‘Horizontal’ NGO against Ministry of Justice

A founder of the organization Valer Ukhnaliou said to the BelaPAN that on 11 March the Supreme Court of Belarus turned down the lawsuit of the social-patriotic civil association (SPCA) Horizontal against the refusal of the Ministry of Justice to register it.

12.03.2009 Pressurization of activists of Belarusian Christian Democracy Party in Haradzets

Activists of the Belarusian Christian Democracy party in the Mahilou region are pressurized by the local authorities, who are making them leave the party.

12.03.2009 Dashkevich, Dzemidzenka and Kuryianovich are summonsed to police

Zmitser Dashkevich, Mikola Dzemidzenka and Pavel Kuryianovich were called to the police department.

11.03.2009 Harry Pahaniaila: ‘Verdict to Yana Paliakova was issued unlawfully’

Only today, on 11 March Neanila Paliakova finally managed to receive a copy of the court verdict that had been issued to her daughter Yana Paliakova by Salihorsk district court on 3 March. Even a brief familiarization with the documents lets human rights defenders state about gross law violations during the trial of Yana Paliakova.

09.03.2009 Political activists are threatened with dismissals

Members of Svetlahorsk branch of Young Front and the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party are threatened with dismissals from work for participation in the constituent assembly of the BCD.

05.03.2009 Baranavichy: trial over picketer

Today in Baranavichy there took place the first sitting of the administrative case against Ryhor Hryk. The police accuse hum of organization of an unauthorized picket and distribution of non-state press.