08.07.2011 Human Rights Center Viasna expresses solidarity with regional human rights defenders

The Human Rights Center Viasna states its solidarity with the Belarusian human rights defenders who were detained during the silent protest actions in different parts of Belarus.

08.07.2011 Minsk: trials of 6 July silent protest participants

The people who were detained during the 6 July silent protest action, were taken to different district courts of Minsk on 7 July.

08.07.2011 Homel region: list of civil activists punished for participation in silent protests

Many people are fined and imprisoned in the Homel region these days.

07.07.2011 Incomplete list of protesters kept in prison in Akrestsin Street (updated)

According to the blogger m-dziatlik, the prison guards hanged out the lists of the people who were punished with arrest for participation in the silent revolution held on 3 July in Minsk.

07.07.2011 Trials in Mahiliou

On 7 July afternoon the Leninski District Court considered the administrative cases of some participants of yesterday’s silent protest action.

07.07.2011 Homel: participant of silent protests sentenced to 30 days of arrest

The court considered the youngster guilty of bad swearing and sentenced him to 15 days of detention on 4 July. Ustsimenka was detained on 2 July, before another silent action of protest. Policemen claimed they had received a complaint from an unknown person.

06.07.2011 Vitsebsk: Aleh Surhan sentenced to 5 days of arrest

Police took the civil activist Aleh Surhan to the Kastrychnitski District Court of Vitsebsk right from his home. The policeman who escorted him to the court said he was doing it on order of Aliaksandr Kalinouski, the head of the public security department of the Kastrychnitski District Police Department.

05.07.2011 Minsk: trials of participants of 3 July silent revolution

Over 160 people were detained during the silent protest actions in Minsk on 3 July, the official “Independence Day”. The trials of some of them have taken place already, while there is still no information about the fate of the rest. All defendants are charged under Article 17.1, “disorderly conduct”.

05.07.2011 Trials in Belarusian provinces (updated)

Brest According to human rights defender Raman Kisliak, the civil activist Aliaksandr Charkashyn awaits trial. Artur Anisimau was sentenced to 6 days of arrest, Ivan Stasiuk – to 10 days of arrest. All defendants are charged under Article 17.1, “disorderly conduct”.

05.07.2011 Tear gas fired and websites blocked as Belarus protesters are targeted

Belarusian authorities must refrain from using excessive force against protesters, Amnesty International said today, after police used teargas and arrested more than 300 protesters on Sunday.

04.07.2011 Forced dispersals of peaceful assemblies by the police are a gross violation of human rights

Statement by the Human Rights Center Viasna

At the time of the peaceful assemblies in Minsk and other Belarusian cities on 22, 29 June 29 and 3 July officers of the Ministry of Interior used physical violence and police gear against peaceful protesters. Mass detentions were conducted: occasional passers-by were detained together with protesters. As a result, hundreds of citizens were drawn to administrative responsibility (including arrest) on false charges of disorderly conduct, the use foul language in public places. The Human Rights Centre Viasna registered numerous cases of illegal use of physical force against detainees, facts of the lawless interference with professional activities of journalists on the part of law-enforcement officers and cases of detention of human rights defenders who monitored the aforementioned events.

04.07.2011 Brest: Artur Anisimau sentenced to 6 days of arrest

On 1 July the civil activist had been detained by people in civvies and guarded to the Maskouski District Police Department, where he was given charges under Article 17.1 of the Code of Administrative Offences, “disorderly conduct”.

04.07.2011 Homel: sentences to participants of silent revolution

On 4 July Alena Tsalkova, Judge of the Tsentralny District Court of Homel, tried the people who had taken part in the silent action of protest on 3 July.

04.07.2011 Ihar Bantsar sentenced to 10 days of arrest

On 4 July journalist Ihar Bantsar, an activist of the Union of Poles in Belarus, was sentenced to 10 days of jail within closed court proceedings.

04.07.2011 Brest: intimidation and arrests, too

Brest police warned the mother of a civil activist Siarhei Aleksievich about the inadmissibility of his participation in the silent protest action. Two policemen came to the Aleksievichs' apartment at about 12.30 a.m. on 1 July. One of them was in uniform, the other – in plain clothes.