The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for 9 Mar 2010

09.03.2010 Salihorsk: district commission refused to accredit observer of Belarusian Helsinki Committee

The Salihorsk district election commission refused to accredit Leanid Markhotka as an observer from the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, though the human rights defender presented to it the appropriate extract from the minutes of a sitting of the BHC Council. The human rights defender is going to continue the attempt to obtain the accreditation. Now he is collecting signatures among the local electors in support for his nomination as an observer, in order to use this way of nomination.

09.03.2010 Candidacy of dismissed trade union activist is nominated to local Soviets of Deputies

As said by Mikalai Pakhabau, representative of the trade union of radio electronic industry in the Minsk oblast, at least nine members of the independent trade union will try to get registered as candidates to the elections in the Minsk oblast by collecting electors’ signatures in support of their candidacies.

09.03.2010 Police drop criminal case on kidnapping of Zmitser Dashkevich

A criminal case opened on abduction of the Zmitser Dashkevich, Chairperson of the Young Front, has been suspended under Article 246 Part 1 of the Criminal Code of Belarus, reads the letter received by the oppositionist and signed by A.Zhabinski, senior interrogating officer of the Zavadski police department in Minsk.

09.03.2010 Ivan Mikhailau is released on recognizance

The College board of the Minsk oblast court has studied the cassation appeal of Ivan Mikhailau, imprisoned for alleged draft evasion.

09.03.2010 Activist of Belarusian Christian Democracy went on hunger-strike

Andrei Kasheuski, activist of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy party (BCD) went on hunger-strike to protest against his arrest. The activist was detained on 3 March in the evening in Minsk metro and was taken to the Leninski district court in Minsk where he was sentenced to 15 days of administrative arrest for alleged disorderly conduct, BelaPAN informs. At the moment the activist is kept in the prison in Akrestsin Street.

09.03.2010 First detention for election postcards ‘Tell The Truth’

Civil activists Mikhail Bashura, Volha Mikitsenka and Vasil Busel were detained in Minsk when they were carrying postcards of the civil campaign Tell The Truth.

09.03.2010 7 May – anniversary of Yana Paliakova’s death

Yana Paliakova, human rights activist, committed suicide in March 2009. A wide range of cruel and mean methods was used against the young women before it: arrests, tortures, criminal persecution and moral terror.

09.03.2010 Prisoner of conscience Artsiom Dubski banned to receive parcels

The Young Front activist complains at ill stomach and asks his mother to send medicines to prison.

09.03.2010 Hrodna: observer of Belarusian Helsinki Committee fined at work

The administrative commission of the Leninski district executive committee fined Sviatlana Rudkouskaya, an independent election observer nominated to the Praletarskaya constituency #17 by the Belarusian Helsinki Committee.

09.03.2010 Mahiliou: pretender to candidate Mikalai Rasiuk dismissed from work

On 6 March in Mahiliou, pretender to candidate Mikalai Rasiuk was dismissed from work due to the expiry of the labor contract. During the last seven years he worked as an electrician at the open stock company Lausanbud, at construction administration #129. He was informed about the dismissal in a months' advance. Bear in mind that Mikalai Rasiuk had run for the local Soviets of Deputies in 2007. According to the official information, he won about 20% of votes, which was one of the highest official results among the oppositional candidates in Belarus.

09.03.2010 Orsha district: democratic activists finish collecting signatures

Enough signatures have been collected for nomination of the candidacy of Sviatlana Malchanava, member of the Belarusian Christian Party, as a candidate to the Orsha town Soviet of Deputies at election constituency #9, and the BCD member Yauhen Anishchanka – at election constituency #3. Another BCD member, Yury Nahorny, has almost finished collecting signatures for nomination of his candidacy on the territory of the town of Baran.

09.03.2010 Election campaign: numbers and tendencies of the week

As far as the well-known Stalin's principle 'votes doesn't matter, what matters is who and how counts them' is still actual for Belarus, the week past was very important for the election campaign, because this period was connected with the nomination of representatives to precinct commissions – those who count the votes. This stage of the elections ended on the last day of the week. Now the election committees will decide who to trust to count the poll. The week was also defined by the active nomination of candidates to deputies and presentation of the necessary documents to the appropriate territorial and constituency election commissions. This process will last till 15 March. These two simultaneous processes and the general political atmosphere against the background of which they were taking place were in the focus of attention of the Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections.