A criminal action on the fact of a blast in Frunze Avenue in Vitsebsk on December 8 in the night has been brought up under “hooliganism” charges. As reported by Radio Svaboda, he case is supervised by a Republican Prosecutor’s office, like the cases of blasts on September 2005, when more than 40 persons were injured.
Streamers “Freedom to Kazulin!” have emerged on December 10, Human Rights Day, in Minsk and Barysau. A hunger strike of the political prisoner Alyaksandr Kazulin in the corrective labour facility lasts for the 53rd day. He demands to consider the problem of human rights violations in Belarus at a session of the UN Security Council.
On Sunday an address of Bishop Alyaksandr Kashkevich to priests and believers was read in Catholic churches of Hrodna region. It concerns expelling of 7 Polish Catholic priests and 5 nuns from Belarus. They haven’t been allowed to stay in Belarus to work the next year.
On Sunday, December 10, the leader of the Belarusian united opposition Alyaksandr Milinkevich with Slovak Foreign Minister Jan Kubish. The main topic of the talks was promotion of cooperation of Slovakia with civil society of Belarus. According to Mr. Milinkevich, the Slovak Republic has expressed readiness to advocate the Belarusian issue in the European Union more actively and firmly.
Every foreign citizen who brings in illicit drugs to Belarus, should be executed publicly, and Belarusian citizens sentenced to life. This proposals has been made by a “deputy” of the “chamber of representatives” Viktar Kuchynski during the discussion on the presidential decree “On Additional measures on Children protection in Problem Families”.
The court of Tsentralny district of Minsk has sentenced a young activist Aleh Korban to 15 days of arrest for participation in the action of solidarity with political prisoners on October Square in Minsk. Participant of the rally Uladzimir Syarheeu has been sentenced to 3 days of arrest, Alyaksandr Iuleu has been fines 3 basic units.
Today Iryna Kazulina has visited the penal colony No. 3 hoping to see her husband. She has brought the recent addresses of opposition leaders to the leaders of world powers, the NU Security Council, the Council on Human rights, to Prime Minster Sidorski, and other information. However, the leadership of the colony prohibited her to meet with her husband. “I am very worried by that. It would be logical for them to allow me to meet with my husband. I worry that his health might decline. These are my ungrounded suppositions, but I am really agonizing. The administration of the colony is responsible for my husband’s life,” told the wife of the former presidential candidate, a political prisoner to the Charter’97 press center.
Trials over participants of the action of solidarity with political prisoners held on December 10, on Human Rights Day, in Minsk, are taking place in the court of Tsentralny district of Minsk. One of the detained activists, Zmitser Sidaruk, has already been sentenced by the court to 15 days of arrest. For coming to the square with Zmitser Dashkevich’s portrait, the young man was charged with “petty hooliganism”. Riot policemen who detained him were witnesses in the court.
On December 10, Human Rights Day, an International Marathon of Letters-Writing was held in Poland and in almost 40 other countries of the world. In its framework people wrote letters in support of prisoners of repressed for peaceful expression of their views. This year Poland citizens have written almost 20,000 letters just within 24-hour marathon. Letters in support of citizens of China, Vietnam, Peru and Belarus have been written.
The administration of the corrective colony “Vitsba-3” has prohibited a meeting of the former candidate for presidency in Belarus, a political prisoner Alyaksandr Kazulin with his wife. The Charter’97 press-center has been informed about that by a former political prisoner Syarhei Skrabets, who visited the colony together with Iryna Kazulina. As we have informed, Alyaksandr Kazulin continues his hunger strike in the colony for the 53rd day. His wife wanted to bring him documents adopted in connecting with his hunger strike, and which could convince him to start eating. In particular, Iryna Kazulina wanted to bring a statement of the European Union and of the Special Rapporteur on Belarus Adrian Severin, an Address of the Political Council of the United democratic forces to the UN Security Council and to the country members of the UN Security Council; an Address of Alyaksandr Milinkevich to the G8 leaders, an Address of the United democratic forces to the Belarusian prime minister Syarhei Sidorski.
The U.S. House of Representatives has extended “The Belarus Democracy Act” action for two years. The legislation includes economic sanctions against A. Lukashenka’s government for violations in the sphere of democracy. 397 Congressmen have supported the bill, while 2 votes against.
Yesterday Alyaksandr Kazulin’s family received a letter from the colony, where the political prisoner serves the sentence. The former candidate for presidency continues the hunger strike for the 53rd day. He demands to consider the Belarusian issue at the UN Security Council’s session. Here are the extracts from the letter:
On December 10, on the International Human Rights Day, an action of solidarity with political prisoners was held in Minsk. More than 50 protesters gathered in Kastrychnitskaya Square (October square) with portraits of political prisoners. About 30 persons were detained. Riot policemen disbanded the protest rally violently. Protesters were hit at legs by truncheons.
Yesterday a picket of solidarity with a political prisoner Alyaksandr Kazulin was held in front of the UN mission to Minsk. A. Kazulin continues the hunger strike in the colony “Vitsba-3” for the 53rd day, demanding to consider the situation with human rights in Belarus at the UN Security Council session. Five young people were standing near the mission office with portraits of the political prisoner. Riot policemen were trying to detain picketers. However after an identity check they were released. Journalists, who were present at the picket, were to show their documents as well. One of them, a press photographer Yury Dzyadzinkin, was seized a photo camera. All pictures were deleted.
Today trials over participants of the protest action detained on December 10, International Human Rights Day, are to start in the court of Tsentralny district of Minsk. At least 30 oppositionists were detained yesterday evening on Kastrychnitskaya Square during and before the protest action of solidarity with political prisoners. Young activists Aleh Korban, Zmitsr Fedaruk, Uladzimir Syarheeu and Alyaksandr Iuleu have spent the night in the remand prison in Akrestsyn street.
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