News on the topic: criminal prosecution
24.08.2018 Statement by Belarusian human rights organizations on sentence in REP trial
On August 24, 2018, Henadz Fiadynich, chairperson of the Belarusian Independent Trade Union of Radio Electronic Industry Workers (REP), and Ihar Komlik, the Union’s accountant, were found guilty of committing a crime under Part 2, Art. 243 of the Criminal Code (large-scale tax evasion).
15.08.2018 Political bias in REP trial ill-disguised, say IndustriALL observers
The politically motivated charges against Henadz Fiadynich and Ihar Komlik, leaders of the trade union REP, are “solely aimed at paralyzing the union activities,” say observers of the IndustriALL Global Trade Union after attending the trial that opened on July 30.
13.08.2018 Belarus cracks down on journalists and publishers as oppressive new media laws bite, UN expert warns
GENEVA (10 August 2018) – A wave of raids and arbitrary arrests targeting independent publishers and journalists in Belarus highlights oppressive new rules against internet media in the country, says the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Belarus, Miklós Haraszti.
10.08.2018 Statement of the Belarusian National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum
In connection with the wave of searches in the editorial offices of the media and the detention of journalists
09.08.2018 BelaPAN chief editor detained, more journalists remain in custody
Iryna Leushyna, chief editor of the BelaPAN news agency, has been detained today, tut.by said. Her apartment has been searched and computer equipment seized.
08.08.2018 Four journalists still in detention, as searches of media continue
Maryna Zolatava, Hanna Kaltyhina and Halina Ulasik, editors of tut.by, the country’s leading online newspaper, as well as belapan.by journalist Tatsiana Karaviankova, remain in custody on charges of illegal access to the government-owned news agency BelTA. The whereabouts of one more tut.by editor, Hanna Yermachonak, is still unknown.
08.08.2018 Council of Europe: Liberate all arrested journalists
Searches and arrests in Belarusian media. Statement by the CoE's Spokesperson of the Secretary General
08.08.2018 Statement on searches of media outlets and arrests of journalists
On August 7, the Investigative Committee of Belarus said that it opened a criminal case under Part 2, Art. 349 of the Criminal Code (“illegal access to computer information obtained out of other personal interest, which caused significant damage”). Reports also said that the law-enforcement agencies detained journalists Maryna Zolatava, Hanna Kaltyhina, Halina Ulasik, Ulyiana Babayed (tut.by) and Tatsiana Karaviankova (BelaPAN). According to our information, several more journalists were also detained.
07.08.2018 7 journalists held in criminal case against independent websites
The Minsk offices of tut.by and belapan.by, Belarus’s biggest independent websites, have been searched by police this morning.
07.08.2018 Valiantsin Stefanovich: investigation fails to prove guilt in trade union case
The criminal case of trade unions is, above all, an echo of the global problems related to NGOs’ access to funds, says human rights activist Valiantsin Stefanovich, who has been observing the trial of REP leaders Henadz Fiadynich and Ihar Komlik. He has analyzed in detail the first phase of the trial, emphasizing the objectives pursued by the investigators.
03.08.2018 Belarus: trial observation reports breaches of international law in the trial of two trade union leaders
Paris-Geneva, August 3, 2018 – On July 30, 2018, the trial of two trade union leaders, Mr. Henadz Fiadynich and Mr. Ihar Komlik, opened before the Saviecki District Court of Minsk. The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (FIDH-OMCT), which sent a judicial observation mission to Belarus earlier this week, reports a number of violations of fair trial standards, and reiterates its call to the authorities to put an end to all forms of harassment against human rights defenders in the country.
30.07.2018 Trial opens in trade union leaders’ tax-evasion case
The Court of Saviecki district of Minsk began today hearing the charges against Henadz Fiadynich, leader of the independent trade union of radio-electronic industry (REP), and the trade inion’s accountant Ihar Komlik. The activists are charged with large-scale tax-evasion (Part 2, Art. 243 of the Criminal Code).
18.07.2018 Human rights defenders call to drop criminal charges against BelaPAN director
Statement on the criminal prosecution of Ales Lipai, director of the BelaPAN news agency, and pressure on journalists in Belarus
17.07.2018 Trial of trade union leaders set for July 30
The trial of Henadz Fiadynich and Ihar Komlik, leader and chief accountant of the REP trade union, has been scheduled for July 30 at the court of Saviecki district of Minsk, palitviazni.info said quoting Komlik.
14.06.2018 Financial police raid apartment of BelaPAN director, charge him with tax evasion
The Minsk apartment of Ales Lipai, director of the BelaPAN news agency, has been searched by financial police this morning. According to human rights activist Valiantsin Stefanovich, the search was conducted by the Department of Financial Investigations of the State Control Committee as part of a criminal case opened against Lipai.
