News on the topic: search
09.06.2008 Homel: police looking for escaped criminal at meeting of human rights activists
On 8 June Homel police thwarted a meeting of human rights watchdogs with activists of youth pro-democracy movement under a pretext of a fugitive criminal search.
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.
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).
22.05.2008 European and national flags seized from oppositionists’ apartment during search
A private apartment of a member of the Young Front was searched on 21 May. The police and people in civvies attached the property in the apartment and seized national and European flags.
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’.
02.04.2008 Marachkin Wants His Paintings Back
1 April Aliaksei Marachkin, painter and public activist, chairman of the international organization World Association of the Belarusians "Batskaushchyna" addressed the Tsentralny district police department of Minsk for getting back the confiscated artworks. On 29 March he was released from jail. Marachkin was arrested for five days on charges in dirty swearing and resisting to the police.
27.03.2008 In Vitebsk human rights defender Paval levinau detained
Member of Belarusian Helsinki Committee Paval Levinau was preventively detained near the apartment building of journalist Aleh Barshcheuski. KGB searched Barshcheuski’s apartment. Paval Levinau arrived soon after the beginning of the search and volunteered to be a witness. Instead, the policemen accused the human rights defender of usage of foul language and detained him. Now Levinau is at kastrychnitski police department of Vitebsk.
27.03.2008 Babruisk journalist Andrei Shobin detained after search
KGB representatives searched the private apartment of Babruisk journalist Andrei Shobin. The search was carried out within the framework of the criminal case instigated under Article 367 of the Criminal Code – “Libel against the President of the Republic of Belarus”. As a result of the search all computer equipment and information carriers, including diskettes and video tapes, were confiscated. According to Babruisk human rights defenders, Shobin was detained and will be interrogated as a witness in the case.
27.03.2008 NGO offices searched
Following the searches at the journalists’ apartments, the police and KGB began searches in the offices of NGOs and political parties. The human rights center “Viasna” found out, in Hrodna the law-enforcement bodies are searching the offices of BPF Party and Pahonia NGO. Mahiliou human rights defenders reports, local KGB surrounded the office of civic initiatives “The Circle of Friends”. In Baranavichy the police have just finished a search at the private apartment of Ales Bely, deputy editor-in-chief of Intexpress independent newspaper. They confiscated the system unit of his computer. In Brest the apartment of journalist Natalia Chukhno is being searched.
27.03.2008 Yulia Kotskaya detained in Minsk
In Minsk Yulia Kotskaya, a journalist from Hrodna, is detained. She used to work with newspaper Pahonia, the office of which is now being searched in Hrodna. KGB agents are taking Yulia for interrogation to Kamsamolskaya Street, 30
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 The police also detained BelaPAN reporter Aliaksandar Yanusik, who came to cover the news.
BAJ reports, KGB agents came to the private apartment of Homel journalist Anatol Hatouchyts. They are also carrying out a search in the apartment of Vitebsk journalist Aleh Barshcheuski. According to preliminary information, similar searches and detentions are taking place in Brest, Vitebsk, and Hrodna, where special services representatives are trying to get into private apartments of journalists. In Biaroza, the police search the apartment of journalist Shchapiotkina, who worked with Radio Racyja. She was shown a search warrant signed by Minsk officials. They accuse her of libel against the president.
22.03.2008 Orsha pro-dem office searched
According to Ales Shutau, BPF Orsha office head, a policeman and three persons in mufti searched the office and confiscated a number of issues of Arshanski vesnik and Tovarishch newspapers, as well as 500 greeting calendars designed for March 25.
