Over 300 people were reportedly arrested on Sunday in nationwide demonstrations against President Alexander Lukashenko’s government. Teargas was also fired to disperse the crowd. Some journalists have claimed that they were targeted in the attacks in a bid to prevent them from filming or taking photographs. In the capital, Minsk, the crowds attempted to disrupt Lukashenko’s Independence Day by clapping their hands.
On Wednesday (27 April) authorities in Belarus closed two independent newspapers, Nasha Niva and Narodnaya Volya. The Information Ministry said it acted after repeatedly warning both newspapers over their political coverage in the last year. In a separate incident yesterday (27 April), opposition leader Dimitry Bondarenko was found guilty of organising a rally in December to protest the election results which extended President Alexander Lukashenko’s term in office. The court has sentenced him to two years in prison.
After a performance in the House of Commons in support of Belarus’s imprisoned opposition activists and journalists, Denis MacShane warns the leaders of Europe’s last dictatorship that justice plays a long game (more…)
Belarusian politician Ales Mikhalevich has been granted political refugee status in the Czech Republic. He was imprisoned after running against Alexander Lukashenko in Belarus’ presidential elections. He claims that he was tortured in the custody of secret police, and was stripped naked and hung by his hands. Mikhalevich was one of the seven other candidates arrested during pro-democracy protests which saw more than 700 people detained.
The families of political prisoners detained in Belarus after the 19 December election have instructed a London law firm to launch civil proceedings against the country’s president, Alexander Lukashenko.
This is the first time that a serving president has faced a private prosecution for torture in a UK Court.
If the case is successful, any financial assets held by Lukashenko in Britain, or abroad, may be frozen to provide compensation.
London firm H20 Law will represent Free Belarus Now, a coalition of friends, families and supporters, of the victims of political repression in Belarus.
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Belarusian dissident Vasily Parfenkov has been sentenced to four years of imprisonment following his hearing on Thursday. He was convicted of breaking the window of a parliamentary building during protests against President Lukashenko’s re-election on 19 December. He will also have to pay pay 14m roubles ($4,700) in compensation for damage to state property. Parfenkov is an active supporter of opposition candidate Vladimir Neklyayev.
A solidarity rally in support of Belarus’s political prisoners is being held at the Belarusian Embassy in London on Saturday 19 February.
