The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News on the topic: KGB

27.05.2008 Searches and arrests in Vitsebsk

Paval Liavinau, member of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee (BHC), got 10 days of administrative arrests and a fine of 700 000 rubles (about 328 US dollars).

12.05.2008 KGB continues pressurizing youth activists

Recently a member of the youth wing of the BPF Party Ruslan Shoshyn was to have come to Sweden for a short-term educational seminar. However, he got ill and had to stay in Belarus.

08.05.2008 Student Aleh Hrubich not let abroad

Aleh Hrubich, first-year student of the faculty of Belarusian history and cultural anthropology of the European Humanities University came from Vilnius to Minsk on holidays, but didn’t manage to return back. The border guards took him off the train without explaining anything and made him wait for five hours. Then he was taken to Minsk for ‘further discrimination’.

08.05.2008 Prosecutor’s office upholds KGB actions against independent journalists

Homel oblast KGB office found no law violations in the actions of the persons who had conducted a search in the apartment of the journalist Anatol Hatouchyts, member of the Belarusian Association of Journalists, and took away his instruments of labor. The return of the confiscated items depends on the ‘organ by which the criminal investigation is lead’.

08.05.2008 KGB continues ‘prophylactic talks’ with students

Katsiaryna Yurchankova, third-year student of the library college in Mahiliou, was visited by a KGB officer during her studies. He introduced himself as Aliaksandr Miadzvedzeu, counter-intelligence officer. He had a tête-à-tête talk with Katsiaryna at the office of the college administration. The girl was invited there by one of the college teachers.

16.04.2008 KGB harasses pro-dem youth

On April 16, Khrystsina Marchuk, a youth activists from Hrodna, was summonsed to the KGB region department. The summons served by dean of Hrodna State University philology department did not specify the reason for the invitation.

08.04.2008 KGB threatens to trade union activists

KGB tries to recruit informers among activists of independent trade unions. The last case was registered in Homel, where an unidentified man who introduced himself as the head of the department of Homel KGB office for protection of the political system met with the juridical inspector of the Belarusain trade union of radio electronic industry Leanid Sudalenka.

07.04.2008 Another journalist interrogated by KGB

4 April the investigator of the Homel oblast KGB office Andrei Kolasau interrogated the journalist Dzmitry Karpenka as a witness in case #05011110396, brought in 2005 on the fact of defaming the head of the state.

02.04.2008 KGB blackmails students

KGB workers visited some of the persons who were arrested on 25 March 2008 for participation in the peaceful rally dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the Belarusian People’s Republic.

28.03.2008 Journalist Barshcheuski summoned to KGB for interrogation

Today at 10 a.m. Barshcheuski was summoned to the regional department of KGB to senior investigator Ivan Maskaliou, who searched his apartment yesterday. For over an hour Barshcheuski insisted that human rights defender and journalist valer Shchukin could be present during the interrogation as his representative.

27.03.2008 Searches at private apartments of Vitebsk journalists Alena Stsiapanava and Vadzim Barshcheuski

In Vitebsk KGB agents began searches at private apartments of local journalists Alena Stsiapanava and Vadzim Barshcheuski. Stsiapanava worked with RFE/RL and BelaPAN information agency. KGB is also searching apartments where Radio Racyja journalists live. We receive information from all over the country about searches in the apartments of independent journalists in Brest, Hrodna, Vitebsk, and Biaroza. The journalist from Biaroza is accused of insult of the president. Minsk office of the European Radio for Belarus is blocked. According to some reports, KGB agents show a search warrant signed by deputy Prosecutor General Struk. The search warrant could be given within the framework of the criminal case of insult of the president. Radio Racyja office is also blocked. The search at the apartment of BAJ member Eduard Melnikau ended with seizure of his laptop.

27.03.2008 Police search Minsk office of Radio Racyja

Nasha Niva learned from staff of Radio Racyja, about 8.30 a.m. KGB agents came to Minsk office of Radio Racyja. The office of the independent radio is located in a rented apartment. They stand at the staircase and detain everyone who approaches the doors.

20.03.2008 BPF Rechytsa office leader pressurized by KGB

On March 19 Ihar Mikhaleuski’s mother was visited by a KGB officer said that her son would be fined or even put into prison if he did not stop his activity. He also said that Ihar had organized a meeting with Aliaksandar Milinkevich and added that it would be better for her son not to go to Minsk on March 25.

13.03.2008 KGB Confirms Internet Filtering

At a press-conference in Minsk the deputy chair of the anti-terroristic center of the KGB Viachaslau Lilenka stated that ‘unnecessary knowledge present in the internet, must be closed and must reach only those categories of persons, who can correctly understand it.’ According to Linenka, the filtration of access to the websites which can contain information about terrorist actions or provoke them is filtered in Belarus.