News on the topic: political persecution
30.03.2012 FIDH and Viasna joint statement on political persecution of Siarhei Kavalenka
On 24 February 2012, the Pervomaisk District Court in Vitebsk sentenced opposition activist Siarhei Kavalenka to two years and one month imprisonment, having found him guilty of evading serving a punishment of supervised release.
01.03.2012 New restrictions of political prisoners' rights
According to Volha Bandarenka, the wife of European Belarus civil campaign coordinator Zmitser Bandarenka, who was an election agent for presidential candidate Andrei Sannikau at the 2010 election, her husband has faced stronger information isolation. Earlier, she received letters on political and philosophical themes from him that were published by websites and newspapers, but now only letters about his daily routine are delivered. She talked about this at a round table discussion “Political prisoners are our pain” organized by “For Freedom!” coordination group, BelSat reports.
15.02.2012 Lawyer not allowed to meet with Andrei Sannikau
Iryna Khalip, Sannikau’s wife: “They explained that Andrei worked on morning shifts. However, he has always been working morning shifts and he [the lawyer] used to be allowed to meet him. It looks like the isolation has been resumed”.
14.02.2012 Appeal of HRC “Viasna” to Siarhei Kavalenka
The Human Rights Center “Viasna” issued an urgent appeal to Siarhei Kavalenka, who has been keeping a hunger-strike for 57 days already. Here’s the full text of the address:
13.02.2012 Siarhei Kavalenka’s life is in danger
The political prisoner’s health is in critical condition.
10.02.2012 UCP activist put on “prophylaxis register”
On 8 February youth activist of the United Civil Party Aliaksandr Stsepanenka received a telephone call from the Pershamaiski District Police Department of Minsk. He was proposed to come to the DPD to familiarize with the ruling according to which he was put on the prophylaxis register.
09.02.2012 Babruisk: procuracy refutes existence of “black lists”
In January Anatol Sanatsenka, chief editor of the private socio-political newspaper “Babruiski Kur’yer”, filed an appeal with the procuracy, in which he asked to explain the frequent visits of the police to local civil activists and the existence of the so-called “black list” of activists and journalists. He also stated that police officers posed threats to him in connection with his refusal to be fingerprinted.
08.02.2012 Brest: road police haunt owners of cars with “Pahonia” stickers
The cars of those who have stickers with the national emblem “Pahonia” (which used to be the state coat of arms of Belarus before Lukashenka’s rule) are photographed. The owners are summonsed to the police and threatened with fines for violation of Article 194.13 of traffic rules in the case they don’t remove the stickers.
03.02.2012 Soviet of the Republic: Article 193-1 “protects universally accepted human rights and fundamental freedoms”
The Soviet of the Republic sees no need to initiate the abolishment of Article 193-1 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus, which penalizes activities on behalf of organizations that are not registered with the state.
01.02.2012 Sannikau's lawyers go to court
According to the wife of the political prisoner, Iryna Khalip, on 31 January the lawyers filed a lawsuit with the Mahiliou City Court concerning their non-admission to Mr. Sannikau during his keeping in the Mahiliou prison.
12.01.2012 Court transfers political prisoner Statkevich to prison for three years
On 12 January the former presidential candidate stood trial in a penal colony in Shklou.
11.01.2012 “Viasna” demands immediate release of Siarhei Kavalenka from jail
The Human Rights Center "Viasna" calls on the Belarusian authorities to immediately stop the persecution of the activist of the Conservative-Christian Party “Belarusian Popular Front” Siarhei Kavalenka.
06.01.2012 Siarhei Kavalenka is not allowed to meet with his wife
Alena Kavalenka learned it from the investigator who deals with her husband's case. On 3 January she had filed an application for a meeting with Siarhei. However, on 5 Janury investigator Yury Volkau mocked at her, saying that in some cases complaints could be considered for up to 10 days.
13.12.2011 Zmitser Dashkevich to be kept in solitary confinement till April
Human rights defender Anastasiya Loika voiced this information to RFE/RL with reference to Zmitser Dashkevich. “He has been kept in a one-man cell in the Hlybokaye colony for three months already. He had been repeatedly put into penal cells in the previous prisoners. Human rights defenders are concerned with threats to his life and health and demand that the authorities immediately stop all provocations against him and provide him with adequate life conditions,” commented Anastasiya Loika.
13.12.2011 Mikalai Autukhovich placed in prison cell
As we have learned today, the administration of the Ivatsevichy penal colony where political prisoner Mikalai Autukhovich is serving his term has placed him into a prison cell for one month. Though the formal reasons remain unknown, we consider it as a continuation of the ongoing pressurization of political prisoners for their principled civil position.
