Watchdog

MINSK -- The leader of the unregistered Youth Front political movement in Belarus has been fined $135 for a parole violation.

Zmitser Dashkevich did not attend the trial in Minsk on January 30.

His parole officer testified that Dashkevich violated his parole by missing one mandatory visit to a police station.

Dashkevich told RFE/RL that Belarus's parole policies are anachronistic and make "no sense."

Dashkevich was released from jail in August after serving more than 2 1/2 years for allegedly assaulting two people in December 2010.

Dashkevich denies the charge, calling it politically motivated.

Under the terms of his release, he was ordered to stay at home between 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. for six months and to regularly visit his parole officer.

Amnesty International designated Dashkevich a "prisoner of conscience," jailed for political views.

TASHKENT -- A court in Uzbekistan has sentenced three activists to 15 days in jail and fined four other activists for participating in an unapproved protest in front of the Ukrainian Embassy in Tashkent.

Eight activists, including a prominent Uzbek photographer and her son, were detained on January 29.

Oleg Karpov, the husband of photographer Umida Akhmedova, said on January 30 that his wife, son, and two other activists were ordered to pay fines of between $900 and $1,350.

He said three activists, including a Ukrainian citizen, Artyom Lyudniy, were sentenced to 15 days in jail.

An eighth activist remains in pretrial detention.

The activists protested in front of the Ukrainian Embassy on January 27 against a violent crackdown by Ukrainian authorities on antigovernment and pro-European demonstrators.

With reporting by Lenta.ru, Fergana.ru, and AFP