Persecution and controversy Tell the Truth (Belarus)

1 persecution , controversy

1.1 mass searches, seizures , arrests on 18 may
1.2 version of ministry of internal affairs
1.3 version of supporters of uladzimir niaklajeu
1.4 protests against persecution
1.5 seizure of signatures
1.6 arrest of michail bashura
1.7 liquidation of organization

persecution , controversy

on 6th in minsk 9 thousand of postcards campaign logo confiscated activists of campaign without legal reasons. according activists, car stopped road police officers checked documents , ordered carry on postcards car in police car , follow them regional office of internal affairs of central district of minsk interrogation.
on 11 march niaklajeu arrived office of newspaper borisov news pre-announced press conference, announced phone number appeared unavailable.
on 25 april police searched private house in mozyr looking drugs during meeting of city dwellers niaklajeu.
on 1 may in minsk 10 activist of campaign, distributing air balloons on victory square, arrested police, sent regional office of internal affairs of central district , later released without official explanation.

mass searches, seizures , arrests on 18 may

on 18 may agents of law enforcement agencies came simultaneously offices of series of social organisations , apartments of activists throughout country.

around 1pm reporters started receive multiple calls different cities police arresting activists of campaign , attempts enter apartments conducting searches. several men in civilian clothes came office of campaign in minsk , ordered stay inside. according different sources of information 10 20 people arrested in minsk. transported regional office of internal affairs of lenin district informed witnessing in criminal case commenced according part 1 of article 250 of criminal code of republic of belarus distribution of deliberately misleading information goods or services . searches , arrests present in grodno, gomel, mogilev, brest, bobrujsk, soligorsk, slonim, volkovysk, borisov, belynichi , several other towns. in of cases computer equipment, information carriers , printed materials seized.

sociological laboratory novak, headed professor andrey vardomatskij, searched. financial documentation of organisation seized. house of andrej vardomatskij searched.

in gomel apartment of ex-people s deputy of ussr jurij vorozhentsev police officers confiscated 3 laptops, 1 of belongs 3-year daughter, son s computer, video camera, mobile phones, carriers of information – cd disks, floppy disks, flash memory cards, video tapes , several thousands of dollars. on 20 may vorozhentsev interrogated witness of criminal case. personal money, saved medical treatment, confiscated political scientist svetlana naumova.

according niaklajeu, nails in walls taken away minsk office. of 29 july office still sealed.

three activists of campaign – uladzimir niaklajeu, main editor of newspaper comrade , member of central bureau of fair world party sergey vozniak , international coordinator of united civil party andrey dmitrijev – arrested 3 days , released on 21 may without being charged. informed suspects in criminal case, opened ministry of internal affairs.

in total 65 persons 22 settlements searched, interrogated , arrested.

version of ministry of internal affairs

as mentioned in press-release of ministry of internal affairs of belarus dated 21 may reason arresting activists , seizures of equipment , documentation criminal case, opened according request of owners of publishing company dixand. complained unauthorized use of brand name, legal address , other information firm on printed goods of dixand. later press release says after investigatory actions established printed goods produced dixand order of organizers of movement forward , civil campaign tell truth! vozniak , niaklajeu. ministry of internal affairs declares violations of law niaklajeu , vozniak numerous , systematic , not specify concrete unlawful actions incriminated them.

ministry of internal affairs states result of searches seized 2 units of fire arms, 39 bullets of different caliber, 6 units of cold steel arms , plant-based narcotic drug . these items found in apartment of campaign activist valentina matusevich. 25-year-old son who, according her, had no relation campaign, arrested , sent prison.

version of supporters of uladzimir niaklajeu

niaklajeu called opening of criminal case totally unreasonable , politically motivated. sergey vozniak says 4 weeks before events came 1 of printing houses of minsk evaluate possibility of printing materials of campaign tell truth! had no further business printed house. vozniak mentioned representatives of financial investigation agencies interrogated him on matter before arrest. niaklajeu, considers searches , arrests politically motivated.

the director of dixand alexander boldyrev informed belarusian editor s office of liberty radio knows nothing criminal case related company.

valentina matusevich, in apartment police found weapons , drugs, explained arrested son several times on duty in office of campaign barely interested in politics. uladzimir niaklajeu said doesn t know matusevich, supposedly bodyguard. rumour denied valentina matusevich. niaklajeu said never had bodyguards , construction cartridges found in apartment during search police attempted register bullets.

valentina matusevich explained reporters fire arms found in apartment gas gun , airgun pistol (nikita professional airgun shooter). bullets found blank , collection of knives collected nikita s father 30 years ago. plant-based narcotic drug herbs valentina used own treatment.

protests against persecution

on 20 may chairman of european parliament jerzy buzek expressed great concern deterioration of situation human rights in belarus related mass persecution of activists of tell truth! campaign. said eu may reconsider relations belarus , demanded stop repressions , persecution of civil society organisations , return on track of democratization belarusian authorities.

deep concern repressions against campaign tell truth! expressed embassy of great britain, presiding country in european union. similar concern expressed chargé d affaires of usa in belarus mark boshetti , fidh.

the head of european parliament delegation on relations belarus jacek protasevich declaimed against politically motivated searches , noted persecution authorities caused activity of campaign, aimed @ providing true information , monitoring of presidential elections in belarus .

representatives of 33 social organizations, including famous scientists , environmentalists of different countries signed petition public prosecution office, ministry of internal affairs , presidential admisnistration of belarus, expressed protest against persecution of jurij vorozhentsev , seizure of personal belongings of family of «witness in case» , demand restore legal justice. other organisations , social activists came out against persecution.

seizure of signatures

as informed press-secretary of campaign julia rymashevskaja evident hunting organized after collected signatures naming 1 of streets , metro stations after vasil bykov. ten thousand signatures confiscated during search on 18 may in office of campaign. on 5 july car, in 30 thousand more signatures kept, towed , sealed. on 9 july signatures confiscated police during car search related above-mentioned criminal case.

on 7 july apartment, rented use office of campaign robbed unknown. nothing missing accept 50 thousand signatures. organizers of campaign said on press conference collected signatures scanned , available in electronic format.

arrest of michail bashura

on evening of 6 august agents of kgb arrested activist of campaign michail bashura , handed him on officers of soviet district regional office of internal affairs of minsk. @ same day opened criminal case according part 2 of article 380 of criminal code (forgery, production, use or sale of fake documents, stamps, formsheets). claimed bashura had overstated income when went guarantee receiving credit in bank in 2008. on 9 august detention pending trial extended without charge. on 17 august bashura charged of commission of crime according 2 parts of article 380: forgery of documents aimed used producer , same actions, conducted previous concert group of people. during investigation bashura kept under arrest. human rights activists , uladzimir niaklajeu consider case politically motivated.

niaklajeu claims authorities changed tactics , intimidating activists. @ same day pickets of campaign in mogilev region ware banned, several activists arrested, 1 of them – michail pashkevich – received fine of 1,4 million belarusian rubles.

liquidation of organization

on 3 june official organizer of campaign – research , educational institution movement forward – received notification minsk city executive committee in infrormed economic court of minsk received claim withdraw state registration company. on 10 june court took account submissions of lawyers of movement forward impossible present organisational documents either confiscated investigation or located in sealed office. court agreet make own request documentation. on 8 july court refused minsk city executive committee in liquidation of organisation.

later minsk city executive committee made attempt litigate rental agreement. on 20 july representative of minsk city executive committee stated in minsk commercial court placement rented office use against law because trading placement. deputy of general director of company tina vlati, owns placement, presented papers in court, prove placement admisnistrative. representative of movement forward nina pohlopko thinks purpose of claim liquidation of organisation. on 29 july judge andrej oleshkevich satisfied claim , admitted rental agreement unlawful, although defeated claim day before. in interview belsat channel niaklajeu announced campaign continued within framework of new organisation.

on 12 october commercial court of minsk satisfied claim of minsk city executive committee withdraw state registration of research , educational institution movement forward due fact, organizers presented deliberately misleading information during registration – rental agreement of office admitted unlawful because placement not designed office. representatives of organization consider decision not fair, not based on law , claimed take advantage of right of lodging complaint.

after presidential elections of december 2010, in uladzimir niaklajeu took part candidate, ministry of justice refused register tell truth!