News on the topic: political persecution
12.12.2012 Brest: trial of Vital Koush postponed to 27 December
The civil activist who is charged of "assistance to illegal emigration", asked to be given some time to study his case. The judge of the Brest District Court Mikalai Senka granted the petition and appointed the trial on 27 December.
07.12.2012 Homel Region Court upholds fining Uladzimir Siakerka for insubordination to border guards
On 7 December the Homel Region Court considered an appeal against the verdict of the Chyhunachny District Court of Homel, according to which the head of the regional organization of the Belarusian Leftist Party “Fair World” Uladzimir Siakerka was fined 2 million rubles under Article 23.4 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, “insubordination to legal demands of public agents”.
06.12.2012 Andrei Haidukou's friend gets summonsed to KGB
The leader of the unregistered Union of Young Intellectuals from Navapolatsk has been summoned to the Vitebsk KGB to give evidence in Andrei Haidukou's case.
28.11.2012 Human rights defender Tatsiana Reviaka gets questioned concerning the receipt of finances from Ales Bialiatski
The tax agencies use new ways to pressurize the member of the Council of the Human Rights Center “Viasna”, the president of the Belarusian Human Rights House Tatsiana Reviaka.
28.11.2012 How “Viasna” was evicted (video)
On 26 November bailiffs confiscated the assets and sealed the premises of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” where legal aid to repressed citizens had been conducted, trainings, meeting, seminars and press conference on human rights violations had been conducted for the 12 last years.
08.11.2012 BAJ urges authorities to unfreeze “Arche” accounts
Belarusian Association of Journalists sent an official letter to the head of the Department for Financial Investigations of the State Control Committee Ryhor Vieramko asking to unfreeze the assets of the “Arche” magazine.
06.11.2012 Official propaganda stirs up hostility to independent trade unions
The administration of the Babruisk Tractor Parts Plant (BTPP) accused the leader of the enterprise’s Free trade union of a desire to deprive people of their right to work.
02.11.2012 Tax inspection threatens Homel human rights defender with an administrative case
The Savetski District Tax Inspection of Homel sent a letter to the human rights defender Leanid Sudalenka, according to which he is summoned to the inspection for signing a protocol and participation in administrative proceedings. The matter is that earlier the tax inspection had demanded that he presented an income and assets declarations, which he refused to do.
05.10.2012 “Hooligan” Housha says it’s impossible to win a politically motivated trial
The human rights defenders Siarhei Housha, fined one million rubles for the alleged use of obscene language towards members of an election commission while observing the Parliamentary election, filed an appeal to the Brest Region Court.
05.10.2012 Social workers pay visit to Dzianis Sadouski's home
Dzianis Sadouski, an executive secretary of the Belarusian Christian Democracy party, was among coordinators of the election boycott campaign in Minsk. He was detained on 28 August when he was pasting boycott posters calling. The Frunzenski District Court of Minsk sentenced him to 10 days in custody.
27.09.2012 Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders condemns ongoing harassment of "Viasna" Board member Tatsiana Reviaka
On September 18, 2012, Ms. Revyaka received a notification from the Tax Inspection of Minsk Pershamaiski District stating that she was “obliged to submit a declaration of income and property not later than October 3, 2012 for the period of 2004-2010, in pursuance of Article 12 of the Law of the Republic of Belarus 'On Declaration of Income and Property by Individuals'”. The Observatory strongly condemns this new act of harassment against Ms. Revyaka (see background information), which is part of a more general campaign of harassment against members of Viasna, since it seems to merely aim at impeding their legitimate human rights activities.
04.09.2012 Political prisoner Zmitser Dashkevich transferred from Hlybokaye to Vitsebsk
Political prisoner Zmitser Dashkevich, sentenced to another year of imprisonment for regular violation of the prison regime, was transferred to the Vitsebsk pre-trial prison in the night of 3-4 September. This information was distributed in the social networks by his fiancée Nasta Palazhanka.
02.07.2012 Belarusian civil society urges authorities to release political prisoners
On 30 June a conference of the National Platform for the Civil Society Forum of the Eastern Partnership adopted a resolution with such calls. Human rights defender Ales Bialiatski, who is serving a prison term, was chosen an honourable member of the Coordinative Board of the National Platform.
04.04.2012 Participant of last year's silent protest in Navapolatsk persecuted by road police
Yury Rudkouski was fined 105.000 rubles (about $13) for participation in the silent protest action in Navapolatsk on 20 July 2011. However, road policemen are still trying to draw him to account for alleged running-down on their officer.
03.04.2012 Preventive surveillance can be established over Pavel Vinahradau
The Maskouski district court of Minsk will decide on 6 April whether former political prisoner Pavel Vinahradau should be put under stricter surveillance.
