BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

12/12/2008

Declaration of Human Rights is Banned in Belarus!

Michael Batiukov

The vice president of the International Federation for Human Rights comments on the arrests in Minsk at 60th anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights proclamation.

"It is an unpleasant and disappointing fact, that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is banned for distribution in the country that signed it," Ales Byalyatski, vice president of the International Federation for Human Rights, told in an interview to the Charter'97 press center.

On December 10, human rights activists, distributing the Declaration of Human Rights on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of its proclamation, were arrested on Independence Avenue of Minsk. In total, more than 20 people including youth activists, distributing the declaration, were detained. Among the detained were Ales Byalyatski, Uladzimir Labkovich, Aleh Matskevich, Maryna Statkevich, and Syarhei Sys.

"We were handing around texts of the Declaration of Human Rights and leaflets about violations of human rights in Belarus. Unfortunately, we failed to hold an action according to our plan. We were detained by militiamen in mufti and guarded to the Tsentralny District Militia Department where we spent three hours. They wrote down our personal data and we were released without any explanations," Ales Byalyatski said.

Militia officers didn't introduce themselves though they must show their identity documents by law. The human rights activists were released. No reports were drawn up. Physical force was used against them during the detention.

"I can't say exactly who detained us because they were in mufti. Militia officers didn't introduce themselves, though we asked them to. They were rude, shoved the girls," Ales Byalyatski added. According to him, more than 30 human rights defenders and youth activists took part in the rally.

A great number of militia and riot militia can be seen in the center of Minsk today. They repress all attempts to hold street action on the Human Rights Day.

On December 10, human rights activists of Hrodna organized a street action dedicated to the 60th anniversary of proclamation of the Declaration of Human Rights. Riot militiamen detained Viktar Sazonau, Uladzimir Khilmanovich, Yan Roman, Aleh Kalinkou and other participants of the action.

Source:

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/84492

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