06.06.2008 Orsha: police confiscate leaflets about straight-line with mass media and human rights activists

Near the town bus station of Orsha the police stopped the activist Mikalai Petrushenka, resident of the village of Kokhanava. They accused Petrushenka of illegal distribution of printed editions and confiscated from him 264 leaflets. By these leaflets the activist intended to inform citizens about the air-line with the editor of the Tovarishch newspaper Siarhei Vazniak and the local human rights activists, members of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, so that the people could call up and tell about their problems.

05.06.2008 Hrodna: Human rights activist fined for waving white-red-white flag

5 June Leninski district court of Hrodna found the human rights activist Viktar Sazonau and the chairman of Hrodna oblast branch of the United Civil Party Yury Istomin guilty under Article 23.34 of the Administrative Code (violation of the rules for organizing and holding mass events) and sentenced them to large fines.

04.06.2008 Open letter of Human Rights House Foundation in support of human rights defender Leanid Svetsik

The Human Rights House Foundation is concerned about the harassment of the human rights defender Leanid Svetsik. On Friday, 23 May 2008 three KGB officers burst into Svetsik’s apartment in Vitebsk. The following search lasted for nine hours and was directed by the senior lieutenant of the KGB. During the search, the KGB confiscated Svetsik’s computer, human rights related printed material and a certificate from the Council of Europe. After the search, Svetsik was brought to the KGB office of Vitebsk region where he was interrogated for more than two hours. The interrogation was videotaped.

30.05.2008 Human Rights Activist Leanid Svetsik interrogated by KGB

Human rights activist Leanid Svetsik and editor-in-chief of the Kurier iz Vitsebska newsletter Uladzimer Bazan have been interrogated by Vitsebsk regional KGB officials. They also were warned of possible persecution for commenting on the details of the interrogation due to 'security reasons'.

It's the second time Leanid Svetsik is interrogated by KGB. The first contact took place on 23 May after a search in his private appartment. He was named witness in a criminal case.

The lawyer has been engaged in providing legal consultations to Vitsebsk activists threatened by the pro-Nazi RNE movement. Uladzimir Bazan was one of their vicitms.

28.05.2008 Amnesty International Report 2008, state of the world human rights (Belarus' section)

The clampdown on civil society by the government continued. Any form of public activity not sanctioned by the state, including religious worship, was liable to prosecution and rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly were disregarded. Opposition activists were given long prison sentences for the peaceful expression of their views, or activists were harassed and prosecuted under the administrative code for lesser offences and fined or detained for short periods. Human rights and opposition organizations faced considerable difficulties in registering and activists were prosecuted for acting in the name of unregistered organizations. Belarus remained the only country in Europe still executing prisoners.

27.05.2008 KGB persecutes Belarusian human rights activists

On Friday, 23 May 2008 three KGB officers suddenly burst into the apartment of Leanid Svetsik, human rights activist from Vitsebsk. They showed to him the ruling of the prosecutor’s office for initiation of criminal proceedings under Article 130.1 of the Criminal Case of the Republic of Belarus (fomentation of national and religious enmity). According to this ruling, Mr. Svetsik is considered a witness in the case of threats to certain citizens from the side of the underground neo-Nazi organization Russian National Unity (RNE).

27.05.2008 Edvard Balanchuk gets searched on the border again

On Monday, 26 May, the human rights activist from Maladechna Edvard Balanchuk was detained for the second time this month, now – at the border crossing point Kamenny Loh.

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).

14.05.2008 Police draw report against Viktar Sazonau

14 May in Hrodna the police majors Piatro Lenets and Ivan Vechar paid a visit to the human rights activist Viktar Sazonau. They drew on him a violation report under article 23.34 of the Administrative Code (violation of the rules for organizing or holding mass action) for participation in the concert of the Polish band Lombard in Hrodna.

05.05.2008 Raman Kisliak appeals to the Supreme Court against unlawful detention

27 September 2007 Maskouski district court of Brest found the human rights activist Raman Kisliak guilty under Article 23.34, part 1 of the Administrative Code (participation in unauthorized action) and fined him 62 000 rubles (29 US dollars).

25.04.2008 Law-enforcement raid in Babruisk

Regional police look for potential participants of Chernobyl March

17.04.2008 Swedish Human Rights Defenders Express Support to the Persons Charged in “Case of 10”

Today, April 16, Swedish human rights defenders from the Swedish Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights expresse their support to the persons charged in the “criminal case of 10”.

04.04.2008 Amnesty International: Demonstrators beaten during Freedom Day march

Amnesty International condemns the reportedly excessive use of force by Belarusian security forces against demonstrators who had gathered in the capital, Minsk, on 25 March 2008. Up to two thousand people had gathered in a square in the centre of the city to mark the ninetieth anniversary of the short-lived independence of Belarus in 1918, which is now referred to by the political opposition as Freedom Day. The authorities had not sanctioned the demonstration and President Alexander Lukashenka’s government had vowed to prevent any public action to mark the occasion.

01.04.2008 Amnesty International condemns beatings at Freedom Day celebration

The international human rights organization has issued an official note concerning the events of 25 March in Minsk.

28.03.2008 Trial over human rights defender Paval Levinau postponed to April 3rd

Pershamaiski court of Vitebsk began the trial over human rights defender Paval Levinau. Levinau was detained on March 27th when he was performing his work of a human rights defender. Despite the bad health condition of Paval Levinau, who had to call for ambulance yesterday, judge Alena Zhuk decided to again call for a doctor, and postpone the trial to April 3rd.