10 Aug 2011 | Index Index, minipost
Two of the few remaining independent newspapers in Belarus have each been fined 14m roubles (1,704 GBP) for minor infractions. Last month a legal bid to have them closed was withdrawn but both papers were warned of possible prosecutions that could lead to fines. Nasha Niva received was fined for failing to show its registration number in one of its latest issues, while Narodnaya Volya received a warning for getting a date wrong in a recent issue. Independent media in Belarus have received a torrent of warnings over their political coverage since the 11 April Minsk metro bombing.
9 Aug 2011 | Uncategorized
Journalist Natalia Radzina, who was beaten and imprisoned following last year’s disputed election, explains why she fled Belarus seeking political asylum
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5 Aug 2011 | Index Index, minipost, News
Ales Bialiatski, head of Viasna, Belarus’s leading human rights group, has been arrested on suspicion of “concealment of income” and tax evasion. Tatsiana Reviaka, A member of Vesna, told Human Rights House Belarus that she believed “the reason behind these charges is the fact that our organisation has been providing different assistance to victims of political repressions in Belarus.”
2 Aug 2011 | Index Index, minipost
A draft law published in Belarus on Friday prohibits the “joint mass presence of citizens in a public place that has been chosen beforehand, including an outdoor space, and at a scheduled time for the purpose of a form of action or inaction that has been planned beforehand and is a form of public expression of the public or political sentiments or protest.” The draft adds that anyone proven to be taking part in such a gathering would be subject to 15 days of administrative arrest. The Belarusian government is continuing to develop various methods of stifling protest in the country. Demonstrators have been equally creative in finding ways to rally against President Lukashenko and the country’s economic crisis. In July, clapping protests swept the nation, forcing the concurrent Independence Day military parade to be held in silence to avoid disruption.
