News for February 2005

28.02.2005 Belarusian observers in Kyrgyzstan disclosed multiple cases of the election law flagrantly violated

28.02.2005 Leanid Nevar, Activist of Businessmen's Association Perspektyva, Arrested in Rechytsa

28.02.2005 Siarhei Skrabets Fined 4 Million 800 Thousand Rubles for the Hrodna Businessmen's Rally

28.02.2005 Closed Printers Director not Allowed to Leave the Country

28.02.2005 Russian Human Rights Activists Will Press Russia’s Law Enforcement Agencies to Investigate Politically Motivated Disappearances in Belarus

28.02.2005 Siarhei Skrabets, Respublika faction leader, Detained in Hrodna

28.02.2005 Vasil Vauraniuk, Narodnaya Hramada activist, Gets Fired

25.02.2005 Mahilou Regional Department of Justice warned the women’s public association Lubava in Horki. Officials argue that the NGO has its seat in a residential high-rise and so have to find some other premises for their legal address.

25.02.2005 Human Rights Center Viasna is taking part in the international ENEMO mission that is now observing parliamentary elections in the Republic of Kyrgyzstan.

24.02.2005 On 24 February the judge of Savietski Borough of Minsk Aksana Reliava found Siarhei Antonchyk guilty of organizing an unsanctioned gathering in a rented privately-owned apartment.

24.02.2005 On 24 February Vintsuk Viachorka, the BPF Party leader, was summonsed to the procurator’s office because of a criminal case brought against Mr. Viachorka for a press-conference conducted on 15 October by the leaders of the Popular Coalition Five Plus.

24.02.2005 Aliaxandr Tsynkievich, who ran for the parliament as a UCP member, now faces criminal charges of willfully libeling the president according to part 2 of Article 367 of the Criminal Code of Belarus.

23.02.2005 The Court of Central Borough of Minsk rejected the appeal filed by the lawyer of Anton Filimonau, the son of Veranika Charkasava murdered in October 2004, against the decision of the procurator's office of Minsk to have the minor examined in a psychiatric clinic.

23.02.2005 Alies Pashkievich, Chair of Union of Writers, and Scholar Aleh Loika Get Fired

23.02.2005 Siarhei Skrabiets Denied Political Asylum in Russia

23.02.2005 On 22 February representatives of six opposition parties met with the Deputy Justice Minister.

23.02.2005 Union of Writers Seeks Support from Belarusian and International Community

22.02.2005 The conference European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. Belarusian Experience: Problems and Prospects produced recommendations for Belarusian human rights activists.

22.02.2005 In Navapolatsk the taxation committee again checks up human rights activists

22.02.2005 On 22 February police attempted to detain Vintsuk Viachorka, Chair of the BPF Party.

22.02.2005 On 21 February the economic court of Hrodna Region held a session to consider a suit filed by the Residential Maintenance Company of Leninski Borough of Hrodna against the city branch of BPF. The court session was again put off, this time to Thursday.

22.02.2005 Women’s Movement Adradzhennie Aichyny Gets Shut Down

22.02.2005 Written intervention for the 61st session of the UN Commission on Human Rights by the International Federation for Human Rights Leagues (FIDH), non-governmental organization in special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC) and VIASNA Human Rights Center (Belarus)

22.02.2005 FIDH and Viasna note for the UN Special Rapporteur on Belarus

21.02.2005 On 18 February the Administrative Commission of Rahachou District Executive Committee headed by Valiantsina Zaitseva, Executive Committee Head for Affairs, imposed a fine of 120 thousand rubles on Dzmitry Shkulkou, a deputy of the local District Soviet and a member of UCP.

18.02.2005 On 18 February an international conference entitled European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. Belarusian Experience: Problems and Prospects got off to a start in Minsk.".

18.02.2005 On 18 February the court of Minsk Region reduced the term of imprisonment for the civil and political activist Mikhail Marynich to three years and six months.

18.02.2005 The defense lawyer for the convicted leaders of businessmen Valery Levaneuski and Aliaxandr Vasilieu filed with the Supreme Court of the Republic of Belarus an appeal against the verdict passed by the Leninski Borough Court of Hrodna.

18.02.2005 In Homel Volha Suzko and Kanstantsin Lesunou were twice punished for flyers about the presidential elections in Ukraine won by Viktor Yushchenko.

17.02.2005 Administrative Commission of Frunzenski Borough Executive Committee of Minsk chooses only an oral warning to Aksana Novikava