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Yesterday, Alyaksandr Kazulin, leader of the Belarusian Socialist Democratic Party, former presidential candidate, and former rector of the Belarusian State University, who has been in prison since June 2006, ended the 53-day hunger strike he began on October 20. The hunger strike was an act of protest against Alyaksandr Lukashenka´s tenure in power and a demand that the UN Security Council consider the Belarusian problem. (12-DEC-06) 
 

Belarusian officials removed property including a computer, fax machine, and other necessities from the office of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee on 5 December 2006. The Committee, which is the last nation-wide human right organization still legally registered in the Republic of Belarus, has been under severe legal pressure for several years, and its leaders threatened with criminal prosecution on charges that, while politically motivated, can result in strict-regime prison terms. (05-DEC-06)
 

One hundred years ago the first Belarusian newspaper was edited. “Nasha Niva” celebrates the centenary in tough conditions the Belarusian independent mass media exist. Nasha Niva is a cultural symbol and a living tradition. Even now, as 100 years ago, it is the embodiment of independent Belarusian society struggling for its political and cultural rights. Our congratulations! (28-NOV-06)
 

The former candidate for the presidency Mr. Kazulin was arrested on 25 March 2006. He was sentenced to 5.5 years of prison. The oppositionist was admitted the prisoner of conscience by Belarusian and International society. Mr. Kazulin announced the hunger strike on 20 October to protest against ‘lawlessness in Belarus’ and to demand consideration of the situation in the Republic of Belarus at the UN Security Council. (24-NOV-06)

The leader of the youth organization “Young Front” Zmitser Dashkevich was sentences today to 1.5 year of imprisonment because of “acting on behalf of unregistered organization”.  The cruel verdict has been passed in a closed trial by a judge Ala Bulash. Belarusian civil society expresses the active protest against the tough sentence and the existing of this Criminal Code article as such. (1-NOV-06)

Two years ago famous Belarusian journalist Veranika Charkasava was atrociously killed at her own apartment. The circumstances of an offence are still unknown. The killer is not searched out. The authorities insist on the domestic crime version. In a view of the subjects Veranika worked on and the Belarusian authorities’ attitude towards independent journalists’ professional activity, we may assume this crime will not be solved at the time of current regime existing.  (20-OCT-06)
 

Since October 6 “New Life” Full Gospel Protestant church parishioners continue termless hunger strike in the Republic of Belarus. The reason is the Belarusian authorities’ intention to divest the church of legally acquired the lot and the premises for the church service. Today 175 is the figure of starveling people. Believers tend to take a strong stand, so do the authorities. (17-OCT-06)

The conditions in which the Belarusian prisoners are kept have always disturbed the human rights activists. However, it is almost impossible to conduct a qualified monitoring of this issue because of the unwillingness of the authorities to open penitentiary institutions to the public. On September 27, 2006 Belarusian human rights defenders addressed the OSCE office Ambassador with a letter, expressing their deep concern about the fate of young political prisoners Artur Finkevich and Zmitser Dashkevich. (05-OCT-06)
 

“The poor Human Right situation in the Republic of Belarus had deteriorated in 2005 – the democracy principles, supremacy of law, Human Rights, among them, freedom of expression,  freedom of association, mass media and priority of peaceful assemblies were violated”-  it says in Adrian Severin’s report- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Republic of Belarus.(02-OCT-06)