News on the topic: political persecution
09.11.2007 Mahiliou: Police Detaine Hanna Illina and Maryna Nestserava
On 8 November in the center of Mahiliou the police detained two girls. The policemen explained the detention by saying that the girls looked like the robbers who had stolen a mobile phone. During the detention Maryna Nestserava was holding leaflets with information about a new criminal case against a Young Front leader Zmitser Dashkevich.
09.11.2007 Shklou: Trial of Dashkevich Ends with Fine
In spring 2007 a leader of the Young Front Zmitser Dashkevich, who is still serving his 18-month prison term under article 193.1 of the Criminal Code (activities on behalf of unregistered organization) refused to testify in a criminal case against another Young Front member, Ivan Shyla, who received the same charges. As a result of this refusal the authorities brought another criminal case against Dashkevich to intimidate him. The second criminal case was brought under article 402 of the Criminal Code ‘Refusal or evasion of witness from testifying’. The maximal punishment under this article is 6 months of jail.
08.11.2007 Trial of Zmitser Dashkevich Postponed to 9 November
On 6 November the trial of the leader of the Young Front Zmitser Dashkevich started in Shklou prison. At present Dashkevich is serving 18-month term for ‘activities on behalf of unregistered organization’ (article 193.1 of the Criminal Code). The criminal case that is being considered now has been brought against Dashkevich in August 2007 for refusal to testify against another member of the Young Front, Ivan Shyla, who was also charged with violation of article 193.1.
08.11.2007 Salihorsk: Ivan Shyla Faces New Criminal Case?
The youth activist Ivan Shyla was detained on 7 November, during a picket in the main square of Salihorsk. Together with him the police detained several other action participants. While the district officials were lying flowers to the monument of Lenin seven persons unrolled the transparency ‘Put Communism to Tribunal’. The action lasted for 15 seconds only.
05.11.2007 Niasvizh: Police Detain ‘Young Front’ Activists for Celebrating Vitushka’s Birthday
On 5 November in Niasvizh the police detained the activists of the Young Front Zmitser Banko, Illia and Ivan Shylas and Krystsina Samoylava. Later, near the district police department, they also seized the Young Front member Andrei Tychyna.
05.11.2007 Tsentralny Court of Homel Upholds Zhaleznichenka’s Expulsion from University
On 5 November the judge of Tsentralny court of Homel Alena Tsalkova turned up the complaint of the expelled third-year student of the mathematical faculty of Homel State University Zmitser Zhaleznichenka.
05.11.2007 Hunger Torture for Political Prisoner Andrei Klimau
The deputy of the Belarusian Supreme Council 13 collocation Andrei Klimau who serves a prison term for a political journalistic article is being starved in Mazyr high security correctional facility #20. Food is taken from him: pasta, potato mash, sausages, nuts, tea.
19.10.2007 Homel Regional Court Dismisses Complaint of BPF Youth Activist
Zmitser Zhaliznichenka claims he hasn’t seen anything new in the regional court. E
12.10.2007 List of Activists Detained on the Eve of European March
Regularly updated
12.10.2007 Homel and Hrodna: Preventively Detained Declare Hunger-strike
Several days ago in Homel the police detained the leader of Homel city office of the United Civil Party Vasil Paliakou and his deputy Uladzimir Katsora. Both of them were found guilty of ?dirty swearing’ and sentenced to 7 days of jail. Now they are kept in the temporary isolator of Homel. Katsora and Paliakou have declared a hunger-strike.
12.10.2007 Mahiliou: Zmitser Salauiou Awaits Trial
In the night of 11-12 October in Mahiliou the police detained the deputy chair of Mahiliou city office of the Belarusian People’s Front Party Zmitser Salauiou and composed on him a report for ?petty hooliganism’. There they wrote that he had allegedly sworn dirtily and pissed in their eyes.
11.10.2007 Aliaksandr Atroshchankau Sentenced to 10 Days of Jail
In the evening of 9 October the police allegedly received information about smell of putrefaction from the apartment that was rented by Aliaksandr Atroshchankau. ?We came there, but found no body. There was already an investigative group working in the flat. Then we drove Atroshchankau to the district police department for identification, and he insulted us with four-letter words,’ testified at the trial a policeman Zmitser Kurylchuk.
11.10.2007 Smarhon: Police Siege Activist’s House All Night Long
In the morning of 11 October a public activist Ales Dzerhachou phoned and said that a police car kept duty near his house all night. From time to time the police went out and walked near his windows with pocket flashlights. At 8 a.m. the car changed. The police continue the siege.
11.10.2007 New Detentions in Minsk
On 10 October the youth activists Mikita Sasim and Pavel Yukhnevich were detained in Minsk and taken to Frunzenski district police department. Most probably, it is another preventive detention on the eve of the European march.
11.10.2007 Andrei Klimau Sent to High Security Prison in Mazyr
A political prisoner Andrei Klimau has been sent to the high security prison in Mazyr. Since 10 October till lately he has been kept in an investigative isolator in Minsk.
