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Artiklar: 1-30, 31-60

Ytterligare svenskt bolag agerar diktaturens lakej
2012-05-28 23:25:00
Den belarusiska medborgaren och oppositionella aktivisten Yulia Stepanova, anställd av det svenska aktiebolaget Scandinavian & UK Machines i Belarus, har avskedats av politiska skäl och tvingas lämna bolaget inom två veckor. Yulia Stepanovas chef ska via ett Skype-samtal från Sverige ha meddelat den 24-åriga arbetstagaren att han var missnöjd med hennes arbetsinsats. Efter ett längre samtal lyckades hon få chefen att avslöja den verkliga anledningen: ”Ditt engagemang vid sidan av arbetet, passar sig inte.” Läs Info Belarus pressmeddelande för mer information: http://www.mynewsdesk.com/se/view/pressrelease/svenska-bolaget-scandinavian-uk-machines-i-diktaturens-tjaenst-766375

LGBT protests forbidden in Belarus
2012-05-15 00:18:00
Minsk authorities have rejected three requests for permission to demonstrate, by representatives of the Belarusian LGBT movement. The three actions were planned for May 17. Two of them aims to inform about the International Day Against Homophobia. The third would be directed against the Belarusian opposition party Popular Front, whose vice-president Alexander Straltsov earlier this year called the LGBT movement a ”destructive force” and called on authorities not to allow its activities. The leader of the web portal Gay Belarus, Siarhej Androsenka, states that the motivations for the authorities denials are farfetched. Although it’s just a matter of small action with up to ten participants it’s considered to disturb other activities. At the great Bangalore square, where thousands of protesters normally fit, the LGBT protests can not be conducted , since they that particular day will plant plants in some of the square’s flower beds. Homophobia is somethin...

Intervju: Iryna Khalip om TeliaSonera
2012-05-07 15:42:00
Efter Uppdrag Gransknings sändning av ?De svarta lådorna?, där TeliaSoneras samarbete med säkerhetstjänster i diktaturer avslöjades, har bolaget fått ta emot stark kritik. Stockholm Stad överväger att säga upp sina 40 000 abonnemang hos TeliaSonera och Swedbank Robur har sålt TeliaSonera-aktier till ett värde av drygt 500 miljoner kronor. Info Belarus välkomnar TeliaSoneras initiativ till att ändra sin policy, men hoppas att de denna gång har mod att gå från ord till handling. Info Belarus har varit i kontakt med en av de mest kända oppositionella och oberoende journalisterna i Belarus, Iryna Khalip. Nedan följer intervjun, med hennes kommentarer om TeliaSoneras tidigare uttalanden i media samt teleoperatörers ansvar – Tänkvärt för TeliaSonera och andra teleoperatörer, när de utformar sin verksamhet i diktaturer. TeliaSoneras VD har uttalat sig om kritiken. Han sade bl.a. ”Det är inte vi som kränker de mänskliga rättigheterna” och ”vi följer bara lagar”...

Skriv protestbrev till TeliaSonera och staten!
2012-04-22 20:08:00
Foto: SVD Hjälp till att påverka TeliaSonera och få dem att avbryta sitt samarbete med regimen i ?Europas sista diktatur? Belarus. Skicka ett protestbrev till TeliaSoneras VD eller till dess största ägare, staten. Klicka här för att komma till våra e-postformulär där du kan skicka ett e-mail till TeliaSoneras VD Lars Nyberg eller ansvarig minister Peter Norman. Sprid gärna kampanjen på din Facebook, Twitter eller blogg! Tillsammans kan vi göra skillnad!

TeliaSonera: ”It’s not we who violate human rights”
2012-04-21 13:27:00
After Swedish Television’s Uppdrag Granskning, aired their documentary about the part state owned telecom company TeliaSonera and their cooperation with secret services in dictatorial regimes, a huge debate started in Sweden. TeliaSoneras managing director and CEO, Lars Nyberg, has spoken out in Swedish media about the critizism against them. He says: It?s not we who violate human rights. We are only following laws. Individual companies are never responsible. It’s unreasonable to demand that TeliaSonera or other international telecom operators should take the international community?s role in protecting free speech. TeliaSonera shows that they’re apparently not willing to take resposibility. Do they really want people to believe that all responsibility when it comes to the respect of freedom of speech, human rights and privacy, lies on politicians and governments? So what they’re saying is that companies that generate billions from their work in dictatorships...

Info Belarus samordnare deltar i kvällens Uppdrag Granskning
2012-04-18 06:52:00
Info Belarus samordnare Isabel Sommerfeld följdes i mars av ett TV-team från SVT, på en resa till ?Europas sista diktatur?, Belarus. Resan var en del av Uppdrag Gransknings undersökning av TeliaSoneras verksamhet i utlandet. Resultatet ser ni i kvällens Uppdrag Granskning, där det avslöjas att TeliaSoneras samarbete med regimen i Belarus är betydligt mer långtgående än vad TeliaSonera hittills har velat erkänna. ?Det är oacceptabelt att svenska staten medverkar till förtrycket av demokratikämpar i Europas sista diktatur, genom TeliaSonera och Life. Regeringen bör ställa krav på att TeliaSonera avvecklar sin verksamhet i Belarus, då det ej går att bedriva mobilverksamhet i landet utan att vara regimens hantlangare?, säger Isabel Sommerfeld. TeliaSoneras dotterbolag Life (via Turkcell) i Belarus ägs också av diktator Lukasjenka själv – Diktatorn som alltid sätter sina egna intressen före folkets. I Belarus har underrättelsetjänsten KGB full access till TeliaSoneras mobilnät, 24/...

TeliaSonera’s Cooperation With The Belarusian Dictator
2012-04-16 16:21:00
In March 2012, the founder of Info Belarus, Isabel Sommerfeld was followed by a TV team from Swedish Television?s ?Uppdrag Granskning? to Belarus. The trip was part of their depth investigation of the Nordic Telecom giant TeliaSonera?s and their business in dictatorships. ?Uppdrag Granskning? can now disclose how TeliaSonera is connected to human rights abuses in the former CIS countries. The investigation will be aired on Uppdrag Granskning ? SVT ? Swedish Public Service Television, 18th of April, 20.00 CET on SVT 1 or live on the web.  The program will also be available with English subtitles on the same webpage from Wednesday 25:th of April. Read more at the webpage of Uppdrag Granskning (in English).

Another Political Prisoner Released
2012-04-16 02:27:00
Another political prisoner has been released in Belarus. This time, it was Zmitser Bandarenka, the Coordinator of European Belarus and presidential candidate Andrei Sannikov?s colleague from the presidential election 2010. When Belarusian independent media met Bandarenka after the release he told them; I will continue my public activity. I want my country to be free, to be European. According to Andrei Sannikov, who was released a day before Bandarenka, it is obvious that the release has to do with the pressure from the European Union. This is something that the editor of Charter 97, Natallia Radzina, also points out.  

Presidential Candidate Sannikau Released From Prison
2012-04-15 00:23:00
The former presidential candidate and political prisoner Andrei Sannikau has been released from prison. Sannikau was arrested  on December 19th, 2010, in connection with the protests against electoral fraud in Minsk, after the presidential election. He was sentenced to five years in prison. Sannikau was subjected to torture during his time in prison. He has told independent media in Belarus that the clemency he wrote in November 2011, which was sent to president Lukashenka, was written under threats. At least fourteen people in Belarus are still imprisoned for political reasons, including another former presidential candidate; Mikolaj Statkevich - and the country’s leading human rights defender Ales Bjaljatski.

Missa inte Belarusdagarna!
2012-04-15 00:11:00
För mer information se www.ostgruppen.se!

Ingen puck för Lukasjenka!
2012-04-01 01:36:00
–> Klicka här för att komma till vår kampanjsida på Facebook <– Belarus är landet mitt i Europa där studenter sparkas från sina studier om de är engagerade i ”fel organisation.” Det är det sista landet i Europa som tillämpar dödsstraff, där unga män skjuts med nackskott och deras föräldrar inte har rätten att begrava deras kroppar. Presidentkandidater, oberoende journalister och människorättsaktivister sitter fängslade och utsätts för tortyr. Belarus är också landet där regimen tar gisslan, när oberoende journalister, den före detta statschefen och andra frontfigurer inom den demokratiska rörelsen får utreseförbud instämplade i sina pass. Diktator Lukasjenka genomför en enorm satsning inför ishockey-VM 2014. Han lägger stor personlig prestige i VM-projektet. Det skulle räcka att en enda delegation vid internationella ishockeyförbundets kongress i Helsingfors i maj begär att frågan tas upp på dagordningen, för att det ska finnas en chans att Lukasjenka f...

New EU sanctions against Belarus
2012-03-24 01:19:00
The Council of the European Union today decided on new sanctions against the Belarusian regime.  Around 230 Belarusians connected to the regime have allready been blacklisted. The European Union has now added 29 companies (assets of these entities have also been frozen) and 12 individuals to the list, in response to the repression of the democratic opposition by Lukashenka?s regime. EU High Representative Catherine Ashton made a statement regarding the new sanctions, during the meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels today: Our decision today comes in response to the negative developments we have seen in Belarus. The situation is getting worse and the authorities are tightening their grip on civil society. Instead of increasing repression, Belarus must release and rehabilitate all political prisoners and roll back its repressive policies. Lukashenkas regime reacted quickly to the new sanctions and made clear that the recalled ambassadors of the EU countries are not welcome b...

Free Belarus action in Stockholm
2012-03-19 00:54:00
Today an international solidarity action for Belarus was held all over Europe, organized by Young European Federalists. In Stockholm the action against death penalty and for freedom in Belarus, was organized by Info Belarus and the Swedish Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights (Östgruppen). We jointly walked through town and put gags on Stockholm’s statues. The gags symbolize the oppression, silencing of journalists, writers, oppositional politicians, musicians and others in Belarus. We want to show the Belarusian people that we simply do not forget about their suffering, and that we are supporting them in their struggle for freedom, says Isabel Sommerfeld, founder of Info Belarus.      

Solidarity action in Stockholm for freedom of speech in Belarus
2012-03-17 18:31:00
Young European Federalists will on sunday the 18th organize the international campaign Free Belarus. Info Belarus hereby invite press and activists to attend the flash mob in Stockholm. We will meet at Norrmalmstorg, 3 pm to jointly walk through town and put gags on Stockholms statues. This will symbolize the oppression, silencing of journalists, writers, oppositional politicians, musicians and others in Belarus. This is also a protest against president Lukashenka and the last country in Europe that still imposes death penalty. Vladislav Kavaljou, one of the two death sentenced in Belarusian court that was accused for the bombing in Minsk subway 2011, has now been executed. There is a possibility that he was innocent. The trial has been critisized by countries all over the world, since the accused told the court that they were forced to admit the crime in previous hearings, where they were subjected to torture. The trial was also criticized by relatives of victims, who were silenced...

Kavaliou executed in Belarus
2012-03-17 11:58:00
The mother of Vladislav Kavaliou has recieved a letter from the Supreme Court in Belarus dated the 16th of March, informing her and the family that the death penalty against Kavaliou had been carried out. We remind you that Belarus is the last country in Europe still using death penalty. This is particularly worrying, since Belarus today doesn’t have a functioning rule of law. Most likely Kavaliou was innocent. During his trial there weren’t enough evidence against him and it is said that he admited the crime during questioning before the trial, where he was most certainly tortured. Even victims of the bombing criticized the court as they didn’t find it credible. The father of one of the victims was punished and sent to mental hospital after he had spoken out critically in court against both the lack of evidence and against the use of death penalty in Belarus.  

”Why reward the killer state?”
2012-03-15 14:27:00
”Two young men, Dmitry Konovalov and Vladislav Kovalev, will be murdered by a European state. Yesterday, the Belarusian dictator Aleksandr Luashenka said that he refuses to pardon the two men. Of course, my thoughts go to the young men’s families in this sad moment. One can not imagine the pain their families feel right now. Belarus is the only European country that still allows the death penalty and the European Parliament has repeatedly condemned the death sentences against Kovalev and Konovalov. It is disgraceful, it’s disgusting and it is inhuman that death penalty still exists - and is enforced - in Europe today. What makes it even more tragic is that it’s not even known for sure that these two men are guilty of the crimes they are accused for. Forced confessions and torture in prison are not uncommon in Belarus. The regime does not respect its own people’s basic human rights. Yet Europe’slast dictator Lukashenka gets the honor of hosting the...

Swedish journalists detained in Minsk
2012-03-12 19:52:00
Three Swedish journalists from SVT were today detained during their work in Minsk. Among the detained was the founder of Info Belarus, Isabel Sommerfeld. A 16 year old activist from Young Front was also detained together with the journalists. They were all released after three hours. For more info see Euro Radio or read the article at SVT.se.

We are waiting too, Sannikov!
2012-03-08 18:54:00
Photo from Charter97.org Today it’s not only the International Women’s Day. It’s also Andrei Sannikovs birthday. Sannikov is imprisoned in Belarusian jail since the Presidential election in December 2010. For what? Simply for being a competitor to Lukashenko. This will be the second birthday for Sannikov without his wife or 4 year old child. Iryna Khalip, journalist and wife of Andrei Sannikov, today writes about her husband on Charter97:  I am repeating again: ?Happy birthday, my darling! I love you. And I am waiting for you.? I remember that a year ago, after Danka?s birthday, when our friends brought a balloon with the words: ?Dad, get back!? and my son launched it into the sky, Andrei learnt about that during a meeting in the remand prison in Valadarski Street, and said: ?I felt myself as a man paying alimony.? So now I do not say pretentiously ?Get back as soon as possible!? I am just waiting. Khalip is not waiting alone. The Belarusian people are not waiting ...

Lukashenka: ”Better a dictator than gay!”
2012-03-05 15:35:00
The diplomatic war between Lukashenka (Belarus) and the EU continues. The increased sanctions from EU led to Lukashenka withdrawing their ambassador from Poland, and called on particular Poland, but also other EU ambassadors to leave the country. The EU responded by withdrawing all their ambassadors from Belarus. On Sunday, Lukashenko made ??a critical statement against the EU because of the threats about sanctions. Lukashenka responded to the German foreign minister Guido Westerwelle, who had called Lukashenka ”Europe’s last dictator”. The answer to Westerwelle was; ”Better to be a dictator than gay!” Westerwelle is the first openly gay minister in Germany. Lukashenka has afterwards apologized for his statement, but then said that he ”did not like homosexuals”. Read more: Reuters  The Telegraph    

Belarus expels EU ambassadors
2012-02-29 00:25:00
Photo: Sergei Grits/AP Sanctions against the Belarusian regime, made Lukashenka see red… On February 28, the Belarusian ambassador in Poland was recalled and the Polish ambassador in Belarus was demanded to leave the country. In a joint protest, all governments in the European Union decided to recall their ambassadors from Belarus. ”All EU Ambassadors from Belarus will now be withdrawn for consultations. And we must accelerate work on further measures.” the Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt wrote on Twitter. Read more in international press: The Guardian EU Observer BBC News CBS News Charter 97                       

Presidential Candidate Sent To Punishment Cell For Wearing Wrong Clothes
2012-01-19 01:49:00
According to Belarusian independent media, the former presidential candidate Mikalai Statkevich, in prison since the presidential election in December 2010, has been sent to the punishment cell in Mahilyou prison No. 4 for violating the ”rules of wearing clothes” in penal colony No. 17 in Shklou. On January 17, Statkevich?s wife Maryna Adamovich visited prison No. 4 in Mahilyou with Statkevich’s lawyer Syarhei Novik. Adamovich met with the prison chief Alyaksandr Lamaza and Novik talked to the political prisoner. According to the lawyer, Statkevich will remain in the punishment cell until January 24.

12 hours of solidarity for Belarus in Stockholm
2011-12-20 16:25:00
  Isabel Sommerfeld singing words by Uladzimir Nyaklyayeu in Belarusian, at Medborgarplatsen, Stockholm. Photo: Maria Söderberg. The 19th of December 2011, one year since the electoral fraud and presidential election in Belarus, a solidarity meeting was held in Stockholm at Medborgarplatsen. For 12 hours, people arrived to the square to read poems written by Belarusian poets/writers, for freedom of speech in Belarus. Founder of Info Belarus, Isabel Sommerfeld, also took part in the solidarity meeting, singing a song written by the Belarusian musician Pavel Arakelian, with lyrics based on a poem by the famous Belarusian poet and former presidential candidate Uladzimir Nyaklyayeu.

Ukrainian FEMEN activists found beaten, shaved, naked in the woods
2011-12-20 16:11:00
On the 19th of December 2011, one year since the presidential election in Belarus, the ukrainian FEMEN activists Inna Shevchenko, Oksana Shachko and Aleksandra Nemchinova organized a flash mob and stripped topless in front of the Belarusian KGB headquarters, screaming ”Long live Belarus!” and ”Freedom to political prisoners!” They later on disappeared and their friends could not reach them on their mobile phones. According to our sources, and also independent media in Belarus, the activists have been found today in the Yelsk district of the Homel region, badly beaten, with shaved hair, naked, without phones or documents, tied to a tree in the woods. The girls don?t know who detained them but suppose it was officers of KGB and police. This information has been confirmed by the leader of the Ukrainian group, Anna Gutsol, who received a phone call from the girls. http://www.charter97.org/en/news/2011/12/20/45991/ http://rt.com/news/lukashenko-kgb-femen-missing-...

12 hours of Belarusian Poetry in Stockholm
2011-12-17 15:59:00
On monday, December 19th, exactly one year has passed since the Presidential Election in Belarus. The same day, one year ago, peaceful protesters were beaten and arrested by riot police, including writers, poets and journalists. The 24th of november 2011, the Belarusian human rights activist and writer was sentenced to 4,5 years imprisonment and confiscation of property. The crime was according to the court, tax fraud. Though, it is well known all over the world that the conviction was politically motivated. Due to the above, a day of solidarity, for free speech in Belarus is organized in Stockholm at Medborgarplatsen, the 19th of December 2011. We read texts by authors such as Ales Razanau, Barys Pyatrovitj, Volha Ipatava, Andrey Chadanovitj, Uladzimir Nyaklyayeu, Dmitri Plax and Valerya Kustava. Twelve hours for free speech in Belarus. Founder of Info Belarus, Isabel Sommerfeld, will also be participating with a song written by the Belarusian musician Pavel Arakelian, based on poe...

Vladislavs Sister Speaks Out About the Death Penalty
2011-12-01 00:42:00
”We were shocked by the verdict. We are afraid. Vlad is not involved in this crime, they could shoot a completely innocent person, it is terrible. They lied about everything, what Fedartsov read today is not true to the preparatory stage . They turned everything into what they needed, they ignored entirely what the FSB (Russian security Service) said in their expert opinions, they failed to mention many details. They painted a picture of the guys like monsters, but they are not! We will do what we can … We will write to the president and ask him to pardon them. I’m so afraid of what will happen to my brother. I can’t talk more now. ” – Tatiana, sister of Vladislav Kavaliou, who was today sentenced to death in Belarus.

Death Penalty to Dmitry and Vladislav
2011-11-30 15:48:00
Today, the Supreme Court of Belarus sentenced Dmitry Kanavalau and Vladislav Kavaliou to death on the charges of executing several bombings, including the bomb in the Minsk metro on 11th of April 2011, which claimed 15 lives. Belarusian State TV have been propagating about punishing the young men with death penalty for a few days now, even before the verdict was announced. So it doesn’t come as a chock for anyone. Dmitry and Vladislav have been sentenced to death, even though the only ”proof” against them is a confession which was made during a questioning with the KGB, before they were driven to hospital for internal bleedings (they were badly beaten and probably also tortured). Anyone confesses crimes if under torture. There is a possibility that Dmitry and Vladislav are not guilty. Once their lives are taken, there is no way of changing the sentence. We urge the world’s journalists and politicians to strongly take a stand against the Belarusian court&rsqu...

We Have Two Days To Save The Lives of Dmitry and Vladislav
2011-11-28 15:19:00
Founder & Project Manager of Info Belarus, Isabel Sommerfeld, today published an article on the Swedish news/debate website Newsmill about the two young men risking death penalty in Belarus for a crime they might not have committed, and about the human rights activist Ales Bjaljatski who has been sentenced to 4,5 years in prison, for political reasons. Sommerfeld calls for media to pay attention to the cases of Dmitry and Vladislav, to maybe influence the outcome of the sentence which will be outed in two days. ”We have two days to create a media outcry in the world to hopefully stop the court in Belarus from punishing the accused with death penalty. Regardless of their guilt, it’s not okay for a country in the middle of Europe to still actively use death penalty as punishment. When a life is taken, it will never return. We are fortunate to be born in a country with freedom of expression and press freedom. With freedom comes responsibility . So let’s focus the ...

”Please help me save my son from death penalty”
2011-11-27 13:30:00
Open letter written by Liubou Kavalyova, mother of the accused Uladzislau Kavalyou. To sign her petition, click here. ”Please help save my son from the death penalty. On November 30th the Supreme Court of Belarus will make its final decision whether to sentence my son Uladzislau Kavalyou (Vladislav Kovalev) and another young man Dzmitry Kanavalau (Dmitry Konovalov) to death. Kanavalau is accused of organizing the terrorist attacks in 2005 in Vitebsk, in 2008 in Minsk, and in the subway of Minsk in April 2011. My son Uladzislau is accused of aiding. The accusations are based on the statements made by these two young men, which, as many believe, were given under physical and emotional pressure. None of what has been said in court is supported by any evidence. My son insists he had not been involved in the terrorist attack and suggested Dzmitry Kanavalau has no relation to them either. I believe that my son is innocent. So do victims of the attack and many international human ri...

Human Rights Activist Ales Byalyatski In Court
2011-11-02 16:01:00
Ales Byalyatski, the head of the belarusian human rights center Viasna stands trial in Minsk today. Why? Simply for being in charge of the human rights center Viasna. This is the reality and ”justice” in dictator Lukashenko’s society. He is threatened with 7 years in prison, and the official reasons for charging him is tax evasion/ economical crimes. By tricking the authorities of Lithuania and Poland not to follow the banking secrecy, KGB got access to information about accounts, registered in Ales Byalyatskis name. It is not possible for Viasna to open an account in Belarus (and it’s also illegal for NGO’s to get any funding from foreign institutions). International human rights organisations, the leadership of the EU and the US and a number of other democratic countries demand the release of Byalyatski. Thousands of complaints from all over the world has been sent to belarusian authorities. It has also been announced that Belarusian embassies around ...

Newspaper Dagens Nyheter brings focus to phonecompany Telia´s actions in Be
2011-10-26 07:58:00
Swedish phonecompany Telia is having trouble with its shared interest in Turkcell. A bigger problem with Telia´s 38 % ownership of Turkcell is that they together own several cell phone-companies in Central Asia, Russia – and Belaurs. During the elections in Belarus in december 2010 many oppositional activists and politicians had their phones surveilled by the government. Some of that surveíllance was provided by a cell phone company that Telia owns through Turkcell. The article brings up the criticism brought towards Telia for participating in the regimes prosecution of oppositional in Belarus. A representative for Telia says that they are very strict about having a written request for information, that it is from the right authority and that it follows the law of the country. That is of course not very reassuring in a country where laws are not made to make it possible to be an oppositional politician but the direct opposite. Telia has to stop supporting the regime in Belarus...