The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

10.08.2009 Entrepreneur Mikalai Charnavus punished for serving free dinner

Mikalai Charnavus got a warning from the sanitary epidemiological service of Baranavichy for organizing food handouts at a town market.

29.07.2009 Prosecutor’s office issued warning to Union of Poles’ magazine’s editor-in-chief

The prosecutor’s office of Hrodna believes that “Magazyn Polski na uchodzstwie” violates the Belarusian law.

As Radio Racyja was informed by the editor-in-chief Ihar Bantsar, the motive for issuing a warning were his professional activities and the fact that the magazine of the Union of Poles in Belarus which is not recognized by the authorities, headed by Anzelika Borys, does not have an imprint required by the Belarusian law

15.07.2009 New warnings for ‘illegal journalism’

On 14 July Minsk oblast prosecutor’s office used warnings for ‘illegal journalist activities’ to the members of the Belarusian Association of Journalists Axana and Alexander Kalinkins.

14.07.2009 Warned for organizing School for Young Journalists

An organizer of the Slonim-based School for Young Journalists, civil activist Ales Masiuk, has been issued an official warning.

30.06.2009 Anton Yasinovich gets no compensation of moral harm

On 23 June 2009 Vitsebsk oblast court considered the lawsuit of Navapolatsk activist Anton Yasinovich.

24.06.2009 Chief Editor of independent newspaper warned by local authorities

According to the Belarusian Association of Journalists’ press-service, Uladzimir Skrabatun, editor-in-chief of the Volnaye Hlybokaye independent newspaper, has been warned by the town of authorities of Hlybokaye, Vitsebsk region following a complaint by an unknown town resident. The warning was issued for violating entrepreneurs’ regulations, after Mr.Skrabatun’s daughter Nadzeya, engaged in selling the newspaper at the local market, refused to give a client the book of complaints.

09.06.2009 Hrodna: Andrei Pachobut warned by prosecutor

The member of the disgraced Union of Poles in Belarus Andrei Pachobut was summoned to Hrodna oblast prosecutor's office and read an official warning about inadmissibility of violations of the Belarusian legislation. Pachobut was warned that he had no right to introduce himself as the chairman of the Main Council of the Union of Poles in Belarus and was prohibited to use the UPB symbols.

01.06.2009 Journalist Tamara Shchapiotkina warned for presence at commemorative picket

On 29 May the court of Biaroza district issued an administrative punishment in the form of warning to Radio Racyja reporter Tamara Shchapiotkina for ‘violation of public order during a mass action’.

25.05.2009 Participants of anti-nuclear rally stand trial in Lida

Today, on 25 May Lida Town Court fined a Young Front activist Hanna Bunko BYR 70,000 for participating in the 25 April anti-nuclear action, issuing a warning to another participant of the rally and a European Belarus member Yauhen Rudy. Another activist Yauhen Skrabets had been sentenced to 1 day of imprisonment a few days earlier. According to Ms.Bunko, two policemen testified against the teenagers. ‘He said I was too young so they will just warn me this time,’ said Yahen Rudy. The activists were arrested on 25 April in the town of Lida, as they were holding a banner ‘No to the New Chernobyl!’ and distributing leaflets with information on the danger of the construction of the new nuclear power plant in Belarus.

04.03.2009 Another warning for ‘BelSat’

The member of the Belarusian Association of Journalists from Homel Aleh Razhkou received by mail an official warning from Homel oblast prosecutor’s office for ‘journalist activities in favor of the Polish satellite TV channel BelSat’.

25.02.2009 Youth historical NGO Talaka warned

Homel Regional Department of Justice has issued a warning to the youth local history public association Talaka for using the unregistered insignia on its website advertisements. According to Talaka head Larysa Shchyrakova, the justice department considered the abbreviation of Talaka’s name a separate logo. ‘The warning must be caused by the increasing public activity of the NGO’, says Mrs.Shchyrakova.

24.02.2009 Journalists fined in Homel

On 24 February Judge Maryna Damnenka of Homel Tsentralny Borough Court sentenced two members of the Belarusian Association of Journalists Zmitser Karmazin and Aleh Ryzhkou to BYR 700,000 each for ‘violating the procedures of conducting street actions.’ The judge denied all the motions to summon witnesses so that the actual circumstances of the rally. On the same day Homel Regional Prosecutor’s Office issued a warning to another BAJ member Tatsiana Bublikava for working with the Poland-based BELSAT independent TV channel.

23.02.2009 Babruiski kurier under pressure from Ministry of Information

According to a letter received by the Ministry of Information, the Ministry has promised to ‘take measures’ against the editorial board of the Babruiski kurier independent newspaper in case it ‘continues to violate the legislation’. The threat is based on a claim by Barusik town authorities stating that the newspaper ‘groundlessly forms a negative public opinion of the local authorities’ and offense the honour and dignity of the police. The Ministry asserts that the newspaper ‘distorts the facts and makes groundless generalizations.’ It also reminds that the Babruiski kurier has already received a warning and a second warning may result in its liquidation.

03.02.2009 Office of Prosecutor General leaves warning to Liabedzka and Pashkevich in force

The Office of the Prosecutor General upheld the official warning that had been issued by the deputy Prosecutor General Aliaksei Stuk to the leader of the United Civil Party and the leader of the UCP youth wing, Young Democrats, Mikhail Pashkevich, for having allegedly organized the printing of the newspaper Glotok Vozdukha.