News on the topic: human rights defenders
07.04.2009 Public statement: Human Rights Center
On 31 March 2009 Vitsebsk human rights activist, a founder of the public human rights association Nasha Viasna Leanid Svetsik received charges under two articles of the Criminal Code – fomentation of racial, national or religious enmity (Article 130 of the Criminal Code) and defamation of the president (Article 367 of the Criminal Code).
06.04.2009 Ales Bialiatski: ‘Navumau fulfils orders obediently’
Ales Bialiatski, head of Nasha Viasna human rights organization, thinks that a new interior minister won’t lead to better legal situation in the country.
01.04.2009 Aleh Vouchak demands from ‘Sovetskaya Belorussiya’ $25 000
The human rights activist Aleh Vouchak filed the appropriate lawsuit to Savetski district court of Minsk this Tuesday. The reason for the suit is an insulting article that was published in the largest state newspaper. Aleh Vouchak is of the opinion that the article, signed by the nick ‘Xenophont Superfosfatov’, besmeared the activities of the Belarusian human rights activists, including the plaintiff.
18.03.2009 Prosecutor’s office refused to initiate proceedings on Yana Palyakova’s suicide
Prosecutor’s office in Salihorsk refused to initiate criminal proceedings related to the suicide of a human rights activist Yana Palyakova. Radio Svaboda has been informed about that in the prosecutor’s office. “Inquiry is finished. There are no signs that Yana Palyakova had been incited to commit suicide,” a representative of the prosecutor’s office said.
16.03.2009 Human rights activists say Paliakova’s verdict was illegal
Representatives of the Belarusian human rights community say the verdict passed on Yana Paliakova was illegal and groundless. Now, independent lawyers are trying to appeal the verdict and rehabilitate the activist, who committed suicide on 7 March, after Salihorsk Town Court found her guilty of ‘deliberately false denunciation’ (Article 400 paragraph 2 of the Criminal Code of Belarus) and sentenced her to 2.5 years of personal restraint.
16.03.2009 KGB resumes case against human rights activist Svetsik
Vitsebsk human rights activist Leanid Svetsik has received a letter from the KGB Vitsebsk regional department, saying the secret service has resumed criminal prosecution under Article 130.1 of the Criminal Code (‘stirring up international and interdenominational hatred’). According to Mr.Svetsik, the investigator failed to name the grounds for the resumption. However, he attributes it to the growing pressure against human rights activists, e.g. the negative decision concerning the registration of the Nasha Viasna human rights organization.
12.03.2009 Fantasies of the Ministry of Justice about ‘Nasha Viasna’
On 11 March the press-release On denial of the state registration to the Civil human rights association ‘Nasha Viasna’ appeared on the web-site of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus. We, human rights defenders, cannot leave this information without notice.
11.03.2009 Harry Pahaniaila: ‘Verdict to Yana Paliakova was issued unlawfully’
Only today, on 11 March Neanila Paliakova finally managed to receive a copy of the court verdict that had been issued to her daughter Yana Paliakova by Salihorsk district court on 3 March. Even a brief familiarization with the documents lets human rights defenders state about gross law violations during the trial of Yana Paliakova.
11.03.2009 Human rights defenders are concerned with P.Miklashevich’s statement about possible referendum on abolishment of death penalty
‘According to the Constitution, abolishment of death penalty in Belarus can be decided only by means of referendum,’ stated the head of the Constitutional Court of Belarus Piatro Miklashevich at the press-conference of 11 March. As said by him, ‘a special provision has been put in the Constitution concerning the abolishment of death penalty’, Interfax informs.
11.03.2009 Judge Burautsou refuses to present a copy of the court verdict to Yana Paliakova’s mother
As said to the press-service of Charter'97 by the head of the Center on Human Rights Raisa Mikhailouskaya, Salihorsk district court refuses to issue a copy verdict to the mother of the perished human rights defender Yana Paliakova.
10.03.2009 Human Rights Defenders against Capital Punishment: first results of the campaign
The Human Rights Defenders against Capital Punishment in Belarus campaign started a month ago. For this period of time 11 famous people of Belarus signed the petition to the Belarusian authorities: The head of the Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Belarus of the 12th convocation Mechyslau Hryb, the head of the Belarusian Association of Journalists Zhana Litvina, the writers Uladzimir Arlou, Sviatlana Aleksiyevich and Adam Hlobus, the musicians Kasia Kamotskaya, Uladzimir Puhach and Zmitser Vaitsiushkevich, the TV and radio hosts Zinaida Bandarenka, Tamara Lisitskaya and Katsiaryna Pytleva. While signing the petition each of them expressed his/her attitude to this issue and drew arguments for abolishment of death penalty.
09.03.2009 Valiantsin Stefanovich: ‘People are eliminated in Belarus. It is terrible’
‘I was shocked by the death of Yana Paliakova. The cases when people are eliminated are becoming more frequent in Belarus,’ commented to the press-center of Charter97 the human rights activist Valiantsin Stefanovich.
09.03.2009 Human rights civil association ‘Brestskaya Viasna’ is denied registration again
The fourth attempt to register the human rights organization in Brest oblast was unsuccessful. The main justice department of Brest oblast executive committee refused to register the civil human rights association Brestskaya Viasna.
05.03.2009 Let’s join Belarus to the world that is free from death penalty
Belarus is the only country on the post-Soviet space where capital punishment still exists, death sentences are issued and convicts are executed.
04.03.2009 Valiantsin Stefanovich: no one can prohibit human rights activities to me
Lawyer Valiantsin Stefanovich, one of the founders of the civil human rights association Nasha Viasna, gave the following commentary concerning the registration denial:
