22 Feb 12 | Middle East and North Africa
A man in Belarus has been sentenced to 10 days in prison for placing children’s toys on the street. Former political prisoner Pavel Vinogradov put soft toys on a curb with tiny banners to protest against police brutality in the country known as Europe’s last dictatorship. He was arrested by the police who claimed he had organised an “unauthorised protest”. This bizarre case comes after the country’s dictator Alexander Lukashenko banned clapping in public last year to prevent silent protests against his hardline rule.
Lukashenko’s behaviour is becoming increasingly erratic. He paid for mercenaries to help Colonel Gadaffi in Libya, has praised Adolf Hitler — whose occupation of Belarus killed as many as one in three Belarusians during World War II — and on top of the 10 homes he already owns is building his own flying club, water sports centre and diving centre.
25 Jan 12 | Europe and Central Asia, News and features
States urged to heighten sanctions against Europe’s last dictator as opposition leader tells of fears. Michael Harris reports
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16 Jan 12 | Europe and Central Asia, Index Index, minipost
A 10,000 copy print run of a private Belarusian newspaper has been seized by police. Copies of Vitebsky Kuryer were seized by officers on Friday night, as a car carried them from the print house in Smolensk. Police pulled over the car, and ordered the driver to a nearby police station, where the print run was impounded. Yuliya Kanaplyova, a journalist from the newspaper, who was driving the car was charged with having dirty license plates. The newspaper was apparently seized following the article “Ten Facts about the Case of Ales Byalyatski,” detailing the proceedings against the prominent human rights defender.
10 Jan 12 | Europe and Central Asia, Index Index, minipost
A freelance reporter was sentenced to 11 days in prison following his coverage of an unsanctioned protest in Belarus. Aleksandr Borozenko, who was working for Poland-based satellite broadcaster Belsat at the time, was detained on 8 January, along with human rights activist Nikolai Kovalenko. Borozenko was reporting on a one-person vigil which was being staged by Kovalenko. The journalist was arrested by KGB security forces minutes after he began filming the activist’s protest, which took place in front of the KGB headquarters in Minsk. Borozenko reportedly began a hunger strike after hearing the verdict.
A man in Belarus has been sentenced to 10 days in prison for placing children’s toys on the street. Former political prisoner Pavel Vinogradov put soft toys on a curb with tiny banners to protest against police brutality in the country known as Europe’s last dictatorship. He was arrested by the police who claimed he had organised an “unauthorised protest”. This bizarre case comes after the country’s dictator Alexander Lukashenko banned clapping in public last year to prevent silent protests against his hardline rule.