Watchdog

ASHMYANY, Belarus -- A court in the western Belarusian town of Ashmyany has ruled that 40 copies of a book authored by a prominent jailed human rights campaigner must be returned to Lithuania, where they were printed.

The judge explained her decision on February 11 by saying that it was her personal belief that the book -- titled "Enlightened by Belarusness" -- might negatively affect the country's political and social stability.

The book was written was Ales Byalyatski, the leader of the Vyasna (Spring) human rights center.

In June, Belarusian customs officers confiscated copies of the book as Byalyatski's colleagues were bringing them into Belarus from Lithuania.

Tatsyana Ravyaka of Vyasna filed a lawsuit, saying the move was illegal.

Byalyatski was sentenced in 2011 to 4 1/2 years in jail on tax-evasion charges that his supporters say were politically motivated.

Amnesty International has declared Byalyatski a prisoner of conscience.

ALMATY, Kazakhstan -- The trial against an independent Kazakh newspaper has started in Almaty.

"Pravdivaya gazeta" (The Truthful Newspaper) is charged with providing readers with false information about the exact number of its weekly copies, operating during a court-ruled suspension period, and for its failure to adequately address the violations.

The editors of the periodical, which is known for its harsh criticism of the Kazakh authorities, insist the charges are politically motivated.

The newspaper was established nine months ago and has gone through two three-month suspensions and two hefty fines since then.

Last year, the European Parliament adopted a resolution criticizing Astana for its failure to respect political, media, and religious freedoms.