The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for August 2008

08.08.2008 Homel: libraries getting ready for the elections

Informational book exhibitions dedicated to the upcoming elections have appeared in the libraries of Homel. Journalist Larysa Olina states that in such a way the city libraries get prepared to the parliamentary elections.

08.08.2008 Brest: deputy Vialichka ‘reports to electorate’

Having registered his initiative group in order to get an opportunity to run for the parliament again, the deputy Aleh Vialichka decided to actively ‘report’ to the electors about his achievements.

08.08.2008 Pavel Kuryianovich sentenced to 15 days of jail. Imprisoned Dashkevich and Finkevich go on hunger-strike

The leaders of the Young Front Zmitser Dashkevich and Arthur Finkevich, arrested in Minsk yesterday, announced a hunger strike in Akrestsin Street detention centre. The activist of the civil campaign European Belarus Pavel Kuryianovich stood trial at the court of Maskouski district of Minsk and was sentenced to 15 days of jail for ‘petty hooliganism’.

08.08.2008 Police and KGB burst into ‘Young Front’ office

On 7 August in the evening riot policemen and KGB officers broke into the head office of the Young Front in Karal Street in Minsk. Two entrance doors were broken. The leaders of the organization Zmitser Dashkevich and Arthur Finkevich, as well as 4 activists of the Young Front and an activist of the civil campaign European Belarus Pavel Kuryianovich were arrested.

08.08.2008 Journalists detained near House of Parliament

A photojournalist of Belhazeta Vadzim Zamirouski and another photojournalist have been detained near the House of Government in Independence Square today.

07.08.2008 Vitsebsk: police inspector persecuted for intention to run for Parliament

Captain Andrei Levinau, 36-year-old local police inspector of Vitsebsk district police department, stated his intention to run for the parliament. This became a surprise not only for the authorities but also for the opposition, because till lately this officer had nothing to do with politics.

07.08.2008 Necessary number of signatures collected for 36 candidates from ‘European list’

The European Coalition includes the organizing committees of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Narodnaya Hramada) and the Party of Freedom and Progress and the international NGO Young Front which has official registration in Czech.

07.08.2008 Vitsebsk: journalists are interrogated in criminal case on threat letters from Russian neo-Nazi

On 7 August an independent journalist Aliona Stsiapanava was summonsed to the KGB and interrogated as a witness on a criminal case that had been brought on threat letters sent by activists of an unregistered Russian neo-Nazi organization RNE (Russian National Unity). The investigator asked Stsiapanava where and when she had seen such letters and what human rights organizations she knew.

07.08.2008 Mazyr: person nominated to electoral commission without real assembly of working collective

When the list of members of Mazyr district electoral commission #42 was published it was found out that one of its members, Ivan Navitski (deputy director on ideology of the open stock company Belaruscable) was not really nominated by the working collective of this enterprise, as such an assembly had not been collected.

07.08.2008 Vendors get fined for signatures

In Haradok the workers of certain enterprises have their passports taken away for a week, so that they could not sign for a democratic candidate.

07.08.2008 Civil case brought against Ivan Kruk

A civil case has been brought against Ivan Kruk, potential candidate at Iuye electoral district. The case was brought on the suit of the housing economy of Astravets for protection of honor and dignity. On 5 August Mr. Kruk received a writ from Smarhon district court, inviting him to the preliminary court sitting, appointed on 12 August.

07.08.2008 Salihorsk: administrative resource used to collect signatures for Yauhen Abalenski

The elector Tatsiana Marholina informed the observer of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee Mikalai Lazarevich that the workers of the Shakhtaspetsstroy trust had been ordered to take their passports to work so that their signatures for the candidacy of Yauhen Abalenski could be collected. Yauhen Abalenski is a deputy of Minsk oblast Soviet of deputies. His initiative group was registered by district electoral commission #75.

07.08.2008 Hrodna: district electoral commission #52 sees no necessity to work

Zmitser Slutski, an independent observer registered at Hrodna northern electoral district #52, informs that after the registration of the initiative groups district electoral commission #52 has not gathered a single time. To his everyday telephone calls he was answered that the commission would not gather for any assemblies on that day. Today he has paid a visit to the head of the commission, who informed him that the commission didn’t see any need to gather.

07.08.2008 Supreme Court does not grant Zmitser Vinahradau’s appeal

11 to 12 pm on 6 August the Supreme Court considered an appeal against the actions of Vileika district electoral commission #64 and the central electoral commission of Belarus. The appeal was filed by nine members of the initiative group of Zmitser Vinahradau, which was not registered and concerned the refusal of the electoral commission to register the group.

07.08.2008 Hrodna: signatures without passport data are collected for pro-governmental candidate

In Hrodna northern electoral district #51 Aleh Kalinkou, a member of the initiative group of the oppositional candidate Yaraslau Ramanchuk, noticed a group of youngsters collecting signatures in the street without asking for people’s passports.