18.12.2012 Prisoner Mikalay Statkevich Does Not Receive “Novy Chas” Newspaper

The editorial office of the newspaper Novy Chas (New Times) struggles for the right of the political prisoner to get the independent newspaper.

23.11.2012 Andrei Haidukou can’t receive medicines and letters in prison

Andrei Haidukou, resident of Navapolatsk, has been in the KGB detention center since November 8, facing criminal charges "for treason to the state through intelligence activities." Andrei’s parents and friends cannot believe that he could be involved in spying, his detention in Vitsebsk being a total surprise to them.

16.11.2012 Political prisoner Vaskovich cannot receive books in prison

Yuheny Vaskovich wrote it in a letter to his grandmother.

16.11.2012 Zmitser Dashkevich placed in solitary confinement

A political prisoner had a meeting with his lawyer in a prison in Hrodna.

29.10.2012 Letters to Mikalai Statkevich blocked

According to Leanid Haravy, activist of the For Freedom opposition movement, his letter to political prisoner Mikalai Statkevich did not reach the penal colony. The activist received a postcard saying that the “letter did not pass censorship”, instead.

26.10.2012 Letters from Statkevich: Political prisoner still cheerful, despite endless pressure by prison administration

For weeks, Maryna Adamovich, the wife of former candidate for president Mikalai Statkevich, had not received letters from her husband. But yesterday came two letters at once.

24.10.2012 Vasil Parfiankou faces punishment cell

Opposition activist Vasil Parfiankou, currently serving his sentence in a penal colony in Baranavichy, may be placed in a punishment cell, after he received a reprimand from the prison administration, says his friend Volha, quoting a recent letter from the prisoner.

24.10.2012 Where do letters to Vaskovich disappear?

After repeated complaints of Yauhen Vaskovich on him not receiving letters his friends and colleagues from Babruisk decided to have a peculiar check.

22.10.2012 Vaskovich has been receiving letters only from relatives for half a year

According to the information form the press-sevice of the Belarusian Association of Journalists Anatol Sanatsenka received a letter from the journalist of his newspaper Yauhen Vaskovish, who is now in the prison number 4 in Mahiliou. This is the first piece of news from the political prisoner for almost two years that he has spent in an isolation ward, colony and prison.

19.10.2012 Ales Bialiatski faces restrictions on medical parcels

The imprisoned leader of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” Ales Bialiatski is facing obstacles in receiving parcels with medicines at penal colony No. 2 in Babruisk, Radio Racyja reports, quoting the human rights defender’s wife Natallia Pinchuk.

18.10.2012 Why did arrestee die in Minsk pre-trial prison’s hospital?

As part of the monitoring of the penitentiary system carried out by the Human Rights Center "Viasna", human rights defenders keep receiving letters in which prison inmates provide specific evidence of human rights violations against people in custody and serving sentences, including allegations of torture, and other evidence of inhumane treatment to prisoners.

03.10.2012 Amnesty International: Activist threatened with rape and torture

Activist and prisoner of conscience Zmitser Dashkevich is being threatened with rape and torture in a penal colony in Mazyr, south-west Belarus, where he was transferred after his sentence on 28 August for allegedly violating prison rules entered into force.

14.09.2012 Ales Bialiatski seeks meeting with priest

The imprisoned Viasna leader Ales Bialiatski is still deprived of a possibility to have a meeting with a Roman Catholic priest, says Babruisk civil activist Siarhei Latsinski, quoting a letter received from the human rights defender.

13.09.2012 UN Human Rights Committee registers complaint by Valiantsin Stefanovich

The UN Human Rights Committee has registered a complaint submitted by deputy chairman of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” Valiantsin Stefanovich. The complaint deals with extremely poor detention conditions the human rights defender was subjected to during his arrest back in 2010.

22.08.2012 Mikalai Autukhovich has meeting with relatives for first time this year

They were allowed to have a 1.5-hour phone conversation through the glass barrier.

“It's only called a meeting,” Autukhovich says, “We were not allowed to touch or kiss each other. You cannot do anything. It will go away, but memories will live in your soul forever. I don't doubt the guilty people will answer one day for this ordeal... My term expires in less than 20 months.”