News on the topic: human rights defenders
15.09.2009 Supreme Court turned down Leanid Svetsik’s cassation complaint
The Supreme Court of Belarus refused to change the verdict to human rights activist from Vitsebsk Leanid Svetsik.
11.09.2009 Statement of Human Rights Center ‘Viasna’: Authorities again showed complete disregard of human rights
On 9 September 2009 in Minsk a peaceful action of the citizens who came to Kastrychnitskaya Square of Minsk to express their opinion concerning the participation of the Russian military forces in the joint Bealrusian-Russian military training, was dispersed with an exceptional violence.
04.09.2009 Supreme Court turned down cassation complaint against non-registration of ‘Brestskaya Viasna’
On 3 September the Supreme Court of Belarus considered cassation complaint against the non-registration of the civil association Brestskaya Viasna by the Ministry of Justice. As said by a founder of the organization Uladzimir Vialichkin, ‘the trial ended up predictably. Nobody had any illusions about it. That’s why when the pronounced the verdict: ‘The verdict of Brest oblast court is to be left without changes and the complaint is to be turned down’, for is it witnessed only that we have exhausted the means of struggle for our civil rights on the national level and have only the possibility of applying to the UN Human Rights Committee left to us.’
02.09.2009 Brest Viasna may be registered
The Department of Justice of Brest Regional Executive Committee has postponed delivering judgment on the state registration of the Brest Viasna regional public association. The official letter received by the founders of Brest Viasna requests that the NGO provided the original of the letter of guarantee concerning the issue of its legal address and approve the amendments to the NGO’s Charter proposed by Brest Viasna at a general assembly within a month’s time, thus providing certain chance for the organization to obtain state registration.
25.08.2009 Disrespect for Belarusian language not confirmed, says Ministry of Defence
Human rights activists Ales Bialiatski, Valiantsin Stefanovich and Uladzimir Labkovich have received a reply to their address to the Ministry of Defence, demanding to put an end to illegal persecution of youth opposition leader Franak Viachorka, currently serving in the army, on account of his using Belarusian. The reply denies any summary punishment was used against Franak Viachorka for using Belarusian, saying he was punished for ‘tactless attitude towards a superior.’
25.08.2009 Mazyr Court stops civil prosecution of HR activist Pavel Nazdra
Mazyr District Court stops civil prosecution against an opposition and human rights activist Pavel Nazdra, previously charged with violating Article 28.5 of the Civil Code (late submission of data concerning job change), the BelaPAN news agency reports. The court dismissed the case since Mr.Nazdra had already been convicted of the same offence a year before. The activist says he is likely to face another charge in the near future.
24.08.2009 FIDH expert comments on Viasna’s case (continued)
Kirill Koroteev, Mission Delegate of the International Federation for Human Rights, has commented on the case of the Human Rights Center Viasna, facing repeated refusals by the state registration bodies, as well as the situation in the field of Belarusian NGOs, in general. Mr.Koroteev attended the consideration of Viasna’s complaint at the Supreme Court on 12-17 August 2009, calling the final verdict a disgrace of Belarusian justice.
24.08.2009 Russian HR activist not allowed to enter Belarus
Nikolai Zboroshenko, Chair Assistant of the Moscow Helsinki Group, was not allowed to enter Belarus as he was crossing the Lithuania-Belarus border due to a travel ban. The ban must have been caused by Mr.Zboroshenko’s detention during a protest demonstration in 2006.
13.08.2009 Ales Bialiatski: The process of registration is of no less importance to us as human rights activists as the fact of registration.
Ales Bialiatski, elected head of the human rights organization Nasha Viasna that was denied the official registration by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus, vice-president of the International Federation for Human Rights, sums up the process of registration and shares the plans for the future.
12.08.2009 Yury Chavusau: ‘Developments in Belarus haven’t reached even the level of 2003, when ‘Viasna’ was liquidated’
Political scientist Yury Chavusau made a comment on the decision of the Supreme Court, by which the appeal against the non-registration of the civil human rights association Nasna Viasna was turned down. He is sure that ‘this verdict witnesses only that the real developments in Belarus haven’t reached the level at which Nasha Viasna could be registered’.
12.08.2009 Supreme Court turned down appeal against non-registration of ‘Nasha Viasna’
The founders of the civil human rights association Nasha Viasna did not manage to get abolished the decision of the Ministry of Justice on the non-registration.
11.08.2009 Brest: action against death penalty
On 10 August in Brest members of Young Front held an action for the abolition of death penalty in Belarus. The activists held out leaflets of Amnesty International in Savetskaya Street in the center of the city.
07.08.2009 Human rights defender Leanid Svetsik achieved success in struggle against labor discrimination
Human rights defender Leanid Svetsik initiated amendment of the labor laws for stopping discrimination of citizens. The Constitutional Court considered his address and adopted a recommendation for the amendment of the Labor Code and the law On the employment of the population of the Republic of Belarus.
06.08.2009 Ales Bialiatski: ‘The attitude to human rights activists hasn’t changed since the liquidation of ‘Viasna’ till registration denial to ‘Nasha Viasna’
Belarusian human rights activist ales Bialiatski, vice-president of the International Federation for Human Rights, gives an outline of the situation of human rights defenders in Belarus during the recent years.
04.08.2009 Ales Bialiatski: ‘Authorities fear the international resonance of the trial results’
Ales Bialiatski, head of Nasha Viasna human rights center commented on ban to enter Belarus to President of the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH) Souhayr Belhassen.
