27.05.2010 Brest Viasna makes another attempt to register

On 25 May the Human Rights Public Association ‘Brest Viasna’ submitted an application for registration to the Chief Justice Department of Brest City Executive Committee. This is the organization’s seventh attempt to obtain state registration since 2004.

21.05.2010 Assembly of Pro-Dem NGOs condemns campaign of political repressions

The Assembly of Pro-Democratic NGOs of Belarus has released an official statement, urging the authorities to put an end to mass harassment of the ‘Havary Praudu’ activists.

13.05.2010 The authorities spent too much time thinking about abolition of Article 193.1

The Ministry of Justice again confirms the intention of the authorities to eliminate from the Criminal Code of Belarus Article 193.1 that envisages punishment for activities on behalf of unregistered organizations.

13.05.2010 Harassment of Union of Poles continues

An investigator of the Valozhyn District Police department, Shulha, informed Teresa Sobol, former head of the Polish House in Ivianets, that the criminal case against her was still open, but the accusation article was changed. Earlier the activist of the unrecognized Union of Poles in Belarus was charged with official abuses by a group of persons, whereas now the case concerns only her.

06.05.2010 ’Young Front’ appeals registration denial at Supreme Court

The international youth organization Young Front that possesses an official registration in Czech, has lodged a lawsuit with the Supreme Court against the refusal of the Belarusian Ministry of Justice to register it with the state. As said by its leader Zmitser Dashkevich, the founders of the organization draw the attention of the court to the discriminative nature of the registration denial, its biasness and the existence of the ‘presumption of guilt’ towards activists of the Young Front.

05.05.2010 Complaint of Assembly of Pro-Democratic NGOs dismissed by Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of Belarus declared the decision concerning the complaint of the Belarusian Assembly of pro-democratic NGOs against the refusal of the Ministry of Justice to register it. Predictably enough, the complaint wasn’t granted.

28.04.2010 One more participant of solidarity action fined

Aleh Ladutska, activist of the European Belarus civil campaign, was fined BYR 700,000 for participating in an action of solidarity with the political prisoners Mikalai Autukhovich and Uladzimir Asipenka.

14.04.2010 Candidate gets excluded from electoral race for participation in opposition demonstration

Anastasiya Azarka, a candidate to the Rudauka local Council of Deputies and a member of the Young Belarus, was told in the election commission that she had been removed from the ballot.

09.04.2010 KGB interested in oppositionists' computers

On 9 April, Andrei Sannikau, the European Belarus leader, received back his laptop, unlawfully seized on the border.

07.04.2010 'Young Front' is denied registration

The democratic youth organization Young Front was denied registration. The official reasons are the discrepancy of the registration documents and the legal address of the organization and the fact that many its founders have been drawn to administrative and criminal responsibility.

06.04.2010 Court marshals in Anzhalika Borys' apartment

In Hrodna, court marshals came to the apartment of Anzhalika Borys, Chairperson of the Union of Poles in Belarus, in order to attach her property in connection with the 4,200,000 rubles fine that was imposed on her as the head of the Polonika firm (the firm was fined 122 million rubles).

01.04.2010 Detentions of activists of Union of Poles in Belarus

Mechyslau Yaskevich, Deputy Chairperson of the Union of Poles in Belarus, and Veranika Sebastyianovich, Chairperson of the Association of Officers of the Polish Army at the UPB, were detained by police not far from Shchychyn.

30.03.2010 Supreme Court turns down claim by Young Belarus

The Supreme Court dismissed the claim lodged by the 'Young Belarus' movement and upheld the decision by the Ministry of Justice, who earlier refused registration to the organization, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports. The youth movement headed by activist Zmitser Kaspiarovich is officially registered in Lithuania. Lacking Belarusian registration, its members nay be prosecuted under Article 193-1 of the Criminal Code for illegal membership.

25.03.2010 Lyabedzka fined for solidarity with Union of Poles

The leader of the United Civil party fined 30 basic units.

On March 25 the court of Valozhyn districy considered a case against the leader of the United Civil Party Anatol Lyabedzka, who was detained in Valozhyn on February 15 near the building of a military base where the trial over Tereza Sobal was held, BelaPAN informs.

25.03.2010 For Freedom activist refused registration as candidate

Spartyunaya constituency election commission number 49 (the town of Rechytsa) refused to register local ‘For Freedom’ member Andrei Stryzhak a candidate for the Homel Regional Council, after 19 out of 168 signatures collected by his campaign team were found invalid.