04.05.2010 Believer Ivan Mikhailau acquitted

On 4 May in the morning the Minsk District Court announced the verdict on the criminal case instigated against Ivan Mikhailau, who allegedly evaded from military service. Judge Viachaslau Tupeika acquitted Mikhailau, who had been previously sentenced to 3 months of jail for evading from military service.

03.05.2010 Brest: police accuse BCD activist Zmitser Shurkhai of theft

On 30 April Andrei Bychyk, a police inspector of the Maskouski District Police Department of Brest, phoned to Zmitser Shurkhai, an activist of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party, to invite him to the police department as a suspect in the theft that was witnessed by an anonymous person who had phoned to the police lately.

03.05.2010 Another criminal case concerning Charter’97

The General Procuracy of Belarus allegedly discovered insults and defamation in comments to articles at www.charter97.org website. It has been stated today at a press-conference by a journalist of charter97.org website Natallia Radzina.

29.04.2010 Criminal case opened for a comment on charter97.org website

In the comments to articles at charter97.org website the Prosecutor-General’s Office discovered "insults and defamation".

It has been stated today at a press-conference by a journalist of charter97.org website Natallya Radzina.

20.04.2010 White-red-white flag is not subject to criminal prosecution

Statement by the Human Rights Center ‘Viasna’

07.04.2010 Activist of 'Young Belarus' threatened with criminal case

Andrei Kuzmitski, an activist of the Young Belarus, says that a KGB officer visited him at home.

02.04.2010 Court sees no crime in police beating Kavalenka

Siarhei Kavalenka wanted the policemen, who had beaten him during the detention after he had hung out a national white-red-white flag in Vitsebsk, to be brought to legal account.

02.04.2010 New criminal case for graffiti

Young Front activist Ruslan Matveyeu was questioned in connection with a criminal case related to an inscription 'Long live Belarus!' on the building of the Pershamaiski district court in Minsk.

19.03.2010 BCD coordinator faces criminal charges

Yauhen Yakavenka, coordinator of the formation of the Belarusian Christian Democracy, is charged with conscription dodging, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports.

12.03.2010 Homel oblast court cancelled trial of another conscientious objector to military service

The trial of Yauhen Yakavenka was cancelled by the Homel oblast court. At first Yauhen was punished with arrest for ostensibly ignoring an order of the military enlistment office.

10.03.2010 Zhodzina: Ivan Mikhailau was released from pre-trial prison

On 9 March the administration of the Zhodzina pre-trial prison refused to release Ivan Mikhailau and stated that the excerpt from the court verdict on his case that was brought by his relatives wasn’t enough for releasing him. The complete text of the verdict was passed to the prison administration on 10 March, after which Mr. Mikhailau was released.

10.03.2010 Trials of believers will continue till adoption of law on alternative civilian service

On 9 March the College Board of the Minsk oblast court found unlawful the verdict of the Minsk district court on Ivan Mikhailau’s case and returned the case for a second trial. Bear in mind that on 1 February A.Minich, Judge of the Minsk district court, sentenced Mr. Mikhailau to three months of arrest under Article 435 of the Criminal Code, ‘evasion from military service’, because Mikhailau demanded to be assigned to alternative civilian service.

04.03.2010 Investigation into Siarhei Kavalenka’s criminal case is over

On 3 March the Bureau of preliminary investigations of the Vitsebsk oblast police department informed Siarhei Kavalenka about the end of the investigation of the criminal case instigated against him for hanging out a white-red-white flag on the main New Year Tree of Vitsebsk. Now Kavalenka has a month for familiarization with the case materials. The case consists of three volumes that were composed in turn by three investigators – Tatsiana Turlayeva, Aksana Muravitskaya and Andrei Baranau.

03.03.2010 Babruisk KGB instigated criminal case against BCD activist

KGB officers fulfilled their threat to instigate a criminal case against Volha Siiyanava, a Babruisk activist of the Belarusian Christian Democracy. Volha Siiyanava is also a member of the initiative group of her mother who is running for the local Soviet of Deputies as a BCD member.

26.02.2010 Political prisoners Autukhovich and Asipenka to stand trial on March 10

The date of the trial over Vaukavysk businessman Mikalai Autukhovich and former army officer Uladzimir Asipenka has been announced today.

The trial is to start in the Supreme Court on March 10, secretary of judge Alyaksei Tsyatsyukhin, who will conduct the trial, told this the lawyers.