News on the topic: arrest
05.11.2008 Babruisk: court fines Ales Chyhir twice
On 4 November Babruisk town court sentenced Ales Chyhir to pay 900 000 rubles for repairing the car which he had already damaged during an argument with a taxi driver. However, the judge turned down the driver’s lawsuit for compensation of moral damages.
02.10.2008 Salihorsk: Young Front activists are punished for anti-war picket
The commission on affairs of minors warned Illia Shyla, a 16-year old participant of a picket against the Russian intervention in Georgia, which had been held near the Russian Embassy on 11 August.
01.10.2008 Alexander Chyhir starts serving arrest
On 1 October a public activist from Babruisk Ales Chyhir starts serving his 10-days’ arrest. He has been sentenced to this punishment within the frames of a criminal case that had been brought against him after an incident with a taxi driver. On 29 May the driver was driving Alexander, his wife and daughter home. The driver refused to issue a receipt to Chyhir and drove the passenger to the police station instead. There Mr. Chyhir was charged with threats to the driver, damage of the car and insubordination to the police. Though beaten by the police, Chyhir was found guilty and sentenced to ten days of jail. Despite the fact that the case was considered in summer, the politician is imprisoned only now.
25.09.2008 Andrei Tsianiuta arrested for 7 days
Chyhunachny court of Homel considered the administrative charges against youth activist Andrei Tsianiuta and sentenced him to 7 days of arrest and a fine of 700, 000 BYR (about 350 USD). This way the Young Front member was punished for holding an action on the Day of the City. Tsianiuta unfolded the white-red-white flag during the official ceremony near the Ice Palace.
16.09.2008 M. Ilyin and Ya. Skrabets arrested for 5 days
The guys were writing “Boycott” slogans on Brest streets. The police kept them in custody until lunch and then drew up a report for disorderly conduct. According to the official charges, yauhen and Mikhas were using foul language. The court punished the guys by 5 days of arrest.
08.09.2008 Liberalization in Lukashenka’s way
The authorities continue using mean methods of pressing the political opposition. If earlier democratic activists were arrested on false accusations of allegedly ‘using of foul language in public’, the article ‘drinking alcohol in public’ has been used for the first time against a Young Front activist Vadzim Khaniauka.
14.08.2008 Mahiliou oblast court leaves in force verdict to Ales Chyhir
Mahiliou oblast court left unchanged the ruling of Babryisk town court towards the political activist Ales Chyhir. Judge of Mahiliou oblast court Mikalai Hladki read only the verdict and offered no explanations.
12.08.2008 Mauliuda Atakulava sentenced to 10 days of jail for action of solidarity with Georgia
Liudmila Atakulava, a Young Front activist, has been sentenced to 10 days of administrative arrest for participation in a rally near the Russian Embassy on 11 August. The verdict has been passed by the court of Tsentralny district in Minsk.
08.08.2008 Pavel Kuryianovich sentenced to 15 days of jail. Imprisoned Dashkevich and Finkevich go on hunger-strike
The leaders of the Young Front Zmitser Dashkevich and Arthur Finkevich, arrested in Minsk yesterday, announced a hunger strike in Akrestsin Street detention centre. The activist of the civil campaign European Belarus Pavel Kuryianovich stood trial at the court of Maskouski district of Minsk and was sentenced to 15 days of jail for ‘petty hooliganism’.
08.08.2008 Police and KGB burst into ‘Young Front’ office
On 7 August in the evening riot policemen and KGB officers broke into the head office of the Young Front in Karal Street in Minsk. Two entrance doors were broken. The leaders of the organization Zmitser Dashkevich and Arthur Finkevich, as well as 4 activists of the Young Front and an activist of the civil campaign European Belarus Pavel Kuryianovich were arrested.
17.07.2008 First detainees to be released
Today the first political activists detained under suspicion of their relation to the 4th of July blast will be released. Viktar Liashchynski, Siarzhuk Chyslau, and several others will return home. Let us remind the readers: on july 6th and 7th KGB officers searched the apartments of the people, who, in their mind, could have a elation to producing of a bomb. After the searches they were interrogated and detained for three days. When the term of the detention passed, it was continued to 10 days. The investigators do not give the exact number of people detained as suspects in the criminal case. We know that there are people of different layers of society on that list – from chemistry students to “disloyal’ elements.
17.07.2008 Chyslau’s detention was not officially processed in time
Nina Shydlouskaya, the wife of detained Miraslau Lazouski, reported about the legal violations during detention of Siarhei Chyslau. Nina Shydlouskaya says: “The detention documents are dated by the evening of July 8th. He, just as the other three detained former activists of the Belarusian Association of Servicemen, should be released on the 10th day from the detention, which is tomorrow evening. It seems the date of Siarhei’s detention in the police documents is wrong. According to Chyslau’s relatives, he was detained late in the evening of July 7th.” Thus, Siarhei Chyslau seemed to be nowhere for 24 hours.
16.07.2008 Mikhail Sharamet detained and kept in KGB investigation department
Today the husband of BAJ board member Aliona Sharamet received a phone call from the KGB department. He was invited to have a “conversation” as a witness in “you know what case we are talking about, the most known case at the moment”.
16.07.2008 Vitebsk human rights activist taken to police station from intensive care unit
Open Letter of Belarusian Human Rights Defenders
16.07.2008 Vitebsk human rights defender Paval Levinau arrested for 10 days
The arrest verdict was given on May 26th: court found the BHC representative guilty of disorderly conduct. For almost two months Mr. Levinau tried to challenge the verdict. He tried to prove his innocence and the fact that the court violated the law when making the verdict – as it was read out in his absence. According to the human rights activist, Pershamaiski district policemen made numerous attempts to deliver him to the arrest and detention center: they stood on duty near his apartment and followed him around the city. Today Paval Levinau was brought to the police station from hospital. He got into hospital yesterday from the prosecutor’s office, where he had another collision with the police.
