25.03.2010 Homel Regional Court turns down claim by For Freedom activist

Homel Regional Court dismissed the claim by Piotr Kuzniatsou, Homel regional coordinator of the ‘For Freedom’ movement, lodged after his campaign team for the collection of signatures was not granted registration by local election commission due to exceeding number of its members.

22.03.2010 Supreme Court rules in favour of Ministry of Justice

The Supreme Court of Belarus dismissed the claim by the ‘Razam’ independent trade union against the Ministry of Justice, which refused the Union state registration, Radio Racyja reports quoting the organization’s chair Iryna Yaskevich. In her verdict, Judge Larysa Filimanikhina claimed that one of the claimants Mikalai Kaniukh had been illegally elected and therefore had no legal authority to sign the claim.

16.03.2010 Polish Embassy in Belarus deprived of its property

The court of Valozhyn district dismissed a motion of the Polish Embassy to Belarus which asked to return its property which was kept in the Polish House in Ivyanets.

BelaPAN was informed about that by the chairman of Ivyanets branch of the unofficial Union of Poles in Belarus Tereza Sobal.

16.03.2010 All is quiet in Belarus, says Committee for Religions and Nationalities

Inter-ethnic relations are taking a normal and conflict-free course, said Mikhail Rybakou, spokesman of the State Committee for Religions and Nationalities, at a press-conference in Minsk.

11.03.2010 Polish House in Ivianets was confiscated from Union of Poles in Belarus

The Polish House in Ivianets will stay the property of the pro-regime Union of Poles in Belarus. The appropriate ruling of the Valozhyn district court has been upheld by the Minsk oblast court.

11.03.2010 Fines for picket near Lithuanian Embassy

On 10 March Maksim Viniarski, Palina Kuryianovich and Palina Dziiakava were detained by police for an unauthorized picket near the Lithuanian Embassy where they unfurled a streamer ‘No to cooperation with Belarusian dictatorship’ in order to protest against the invitation of Aliaksandr Lukashenka to festivities on occasion of the 20th anniversary of Reestablishment of independence of Lithuania.

04.03.2010 Supreme Court upholds registration denial to ‘Zalaty Leu’

The Supreme Court upheld the decision of the Hrodna oblast court concerning the non-registration of the Slonim NGO Zalaty Leu. On 4 March the Civil Cases College Board of the Supreme Court, presided by Judge Valer Samaliu, considered the complaint lodged by the Zalaty Leu founders and found the verdict of the Hrodna oblast court well-grounded and the registration denial – legal.

04.03.2010 Spoiled holiday

The students who had taken part in the festival of the Belarusian language were made to write explanatory notes concerning the event. It was the first year when the festival was organized officially.

03.03.2010 Assembly of pro-Democratic NGOs: third registration attempt failed

According to information of the press-service of the Assembly of pro-Democratic NGOs, the Ministry of Justice for the third time refused to register the Assembly of pro-Democratic NGOs. The reasons for the registration don’t differ from the reasons given during the previous registration attempt.

01.03.2010 The Implementation of Freedom of Association in 2009

In 2009 the situation in the sphere of freedom of association in Belarus failed to undergo significant changes, the main problems in the formation and activities of public associations remaining unaltered. The practice of denying registration to public associations and political parties on dubious grounds including the socio-political stand of the associations’ founders was continued. A ban on the activities of unregistered public associations, foundations, political parties and religious organizations was kept in force resulting in criminal penalties for such activities (Article 193-1 of the Criminal Code, ‘Illegal organization of a public association, religious organization or foundation or participation in their activities’ .

25.02.2010 Period of investigation in case of Union of Poles’s activist Teresa Sobol extended

On February 24, director of the Ivyanets Polish House Tereza Sobal (Teresa Sobol) and accountant Romualda Miron were questioned in the militia department of Valozhyn.

They were questioned in Tereza Sobal’s criminal case of abuse of office. As Radio Svaboda reports, the period of investigation has been extended.

25.02.2010 Minsk student fined for supporting Union of Poles

Iryna Hubskaya, activist of the Belarusian Christian Democracy creation committee, was fined BYR 175,000 by Minsk Frunzenski administrative commission for posting stickers in Polish ‘Wolna Bialorus’ (‘Free Belarus’) in downtown Minsk on 15-16 February in support of the unrecognized Union of Poles in Belarus, including the buildings of the Belarusian State University and the city executive committee, the BelaPAN news agency reports.

23.02.2010 Liabedzka summonsed for interrogation

Anatol Liabedzka, Chair of the United Civic Party of Belarus, was summonsed for interrogation to Minsk Regional Prosecutor’s Office. The UCPB leader is to give explanations concerning his arrest in the town of Valozhyn, Minsk region, on 15 February, during a protest rally staged by the unrecognized Union of Poles in Belarus.

18.02.2010 Supreme Court didn’t grant appeal against non-registration of ‘Brestskaya Viasna’

On 18 February the cassation appeal of the founders of the human rights NGO Brestskaya Viasna concerning the verdict of the Brest oblast court of 29 December by which the decision of the justice department of the Brest oblast executive committee on non-registration of the organization was left in force.

18.02.2010 Supreme Court didn’t grant claim of Belarusian Christian Democracy

On 18 February, Vital Rymasheuski and Pavel Seviarynets, co-Chairpersons of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party, and Dzianis Sadouski, BCD Senior Secretary, weren’t admitted to the sitting of the Supreme Court at which the verdict on the case BCD v. Justice Ministry was announced.