News on the topic: torture
12.12.2011 Vitsebsk: trial of “European Belarus” activists
Ivan Salokhin and Uladzislau Varanetski were detained in the evening of 11 December, while trying to hang out the banner “Freedom to political prisoners!” on a bridge.
09.12.2011 Biaroza: police are free to beat pensioners
Hanna Kavalevich, a pensioner from Biaroza, received a answer from the head of the Brest Region Police Department, in which she asked to give a legal assessment to actions of the officer of an officer of the Biaroza District Police Department Yakau Samasiuk and the convoy of the paddy wagon who worked at 7 p.m. on 13 July (during the dispersal of a silent protest action) in Biaroza, and tell how the direct participants of her beating were punishment.
06.12.2011 UN Committee against Torture insists on investigation of tortures in Belarus
The UN Committee against Torture has released recommendations for the Belarusian authorities after discussing the situation in Belarus in Geneva on 11 and 14 November. Two reports, an official governmental one on Belarus’s fulfilling the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and the other one prepared by human rights activists. Following the two hearings, the Committee drew up recommendations for the authorities of Belarus, BelaPAN news agency reports.
30.11.2011 Detained “Platforma” activist brutally beaten in police department
Yury Chyhilejchyk, an activist of “Platforma” informational outreach group, was beaten beyond recognition.
29.11.2011 Belarus does not satisfy UN Committee against Torture
In its Concluding Observations, the Committee against Torture makes a first harsh observation of the dialogue: Belarus’ delayed report prevented the experts for almost a decade from analysing the implementation of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
26.11.2011 UN Panel Criticizes Belarus Over Prisoner Torture
A UN human rights panel has criticized Belarus over what it called "numerous and consistent allegations of widespread torture and ill-treatment of detainees."
24.11.2011 Police atrocity in Mahilyou
An activist of Moladz BNF Andrei Padalyak from Babrujsk has suffered from terrible police outrage upon personal dignity in Maholyou.
22.11.2011 Police refute information on mass detentions in Krupki
The regional police also doubt the information that riot policemen beat people.
15.11.2011 Trial on Filip Kirdun’s case to continue at 9 a.m. on 16 November
The trial of Filip Kirdun, charged with the use of obscene language towards police officers, continued today at the Frunzenski District Court of Minsk. Judge Liudmila Lapo agreed to question policemen Aliaksandr Birchanka and Siarhei Dounar, who had taken fingerprints from the defendant. They stated that he had called them “Lukashenka’s lackeys”, and police officer Sviatlana Kunitskaya, who is in charge of the procedure of dactylography in the Frunzenski District Police Department of Minsk, stated that Filip’s parents had paid a visit to the police department on 14 November and threatened to her.
15.11.2011 Report about torture in Belarus heard at UN
Andrei Bandarenka, a former political prisoner, leader of “Platforma”, has addressed the UN Human Rights Committee with a report about tortures in Belarusian prisons.
14.11.2011 Fingerprinted, beaten, imprisoned
Another egregious case of reasonless police cruelty and lawlessness of were told by the Kirdun family from Minsk, visitors of charter97.org website.
11.11.2011 Vitsebsk: Aliaksandr Kirylau detained and beaten
Aliaksandr Kirylau, Chairman of the Vitsebsk branch of the Belarusian Conservative Party “Belaya Rus”, which is being created by the ex-presidential candidate Siarhei Ryzhou, was detained in the local employment center, where he was registered as an unemployed. He still cannot find a job, though he has a number of qualifications: economist, accountant, insurance agent and hairdresser. Being an orphan, Aliaksandr Kirylau has no means for life.
25.10.2011 Vileika human rights defender receives negative reply to his complaint
Vileika human rights defender Uladzimir Maliarchuk has received a negative reply to his complaint of police-related violence and poor detention conditions in local detention center, where he had to spend 5 days for involvement in a “silent protest”.
19.10.2011 Biaroza police chiefs ignore recommendations by prosecutor
Biaroza resident Mrs. Halina Kavalevich, beaten by riot policemen, has finally received a reply by deputy police chief Aliaksandr Khutko, claiming that the policemen’s actions were lawful.
19.10.2011 Homel activist beaten by masked unknowns
Vital Pratasevich, Homel activist involved in so called “silent protests”, was beaten by a group of unknown persons wearing masks outside his house in the evening of 18 October.
