30.04.2010 Civil activists submit electoral violations report to CEC

The ‘Havary praudu!’ (‘Tell the Truth!’) civil campaign has issued a report on the results of the recent local council elections, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports.

30.04.2010 US Embassy in Belarus: Violations during local council elections should be investigated

The US Embassy calls on the Belarusian authorities to carry out an “open and unbiased” the facts of violations during the local council electoral campaign.

As BelaPAN learnt from the press service of the American diplomatic mission, as far as the embassy knows, there have been reports about violations on the election day and during the electoral campaign. In particularly, there were reports about “harassment of and pressure on independent candidates, restrictions during electoral campaign, violations at early voting and vote count, restrictions of activity of local and international observers.”

30.04.2010 PACE freezes contacts with Belarusian regime

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe freezes high-level contacts with Belarus due to violation of democratic standards.

The resolution was adopted by a majority of votes at a PACE session in Strasbourg on April 29.

The resolution was adopted with 58 out of 67 votes in favour, 6 against and 3 abstentions, BelaPAN reports.

30.04.2010 HR activist’s office searched (updated)

According to the Navapolatsk human rights activist Zmitser Salauyou, his office is currently being searched by the police. The search was sanctioned by the town’s prosecutor’s office and is said to be linked to a criminal case initiated by the local police under Article 341 of the Criminal Code – ‘desecration of buildings and damage to property’ – following a number of inscriptions made on some of the town’s buildings.

30.04.2010 Ex-candidate fined BYR 875,000

Aleh Ramashkevich, ex-candidate for the Malaya Berastavitsa Village Council, was fined BYR 875,000 for posting canvassing leaflets on building walls, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports.

30.04.2010 Lawbreakers go to Chysts Council

As it was reported before, on 25 April 4 candidates running for the Chysts Village Council (Maladechna district, Minsk region) – Siarhei Miroshnikau, Halina Kurylovich, Alena Ulchyts and Stanislau Bazhko – appeared to be members of various local election commissions.

29.04.2010 Journalist and editor of Hantsavichy independent newspaper warned

On 26 April junior counselor of justice Siarhei Dzezhka, prosecutor of Hantsavichy district, issued an official warning to Aliaksei Bely, editor-in-chief of the ‘Hantsavitski chas’ independent newspaper and the paper’s journalist Katsiaryna Kurlovich, for allegedly publishing false information on the local council elections in the paper’s issue of 16 April 2010, the press-service of the Belarusian Association of Journalists reports.

29.04.2010 Kletsk independent publisher fined for insult to official

Siarhei Panamarou, publisher of the ‘Boiki Kletsk’ independent newsletter, was fined BYR 350,000 for insulting a representative of the local housing department, the Nasha Niva newspaper reports.

29.04.2010 Criminal case opened for a comment on charter97.org website

In the comments to articles at charter97.org website the Prosecutor-General’s Office discovered "insults and defamation".

It has been stated today at a press-conference by a journalist of charter97.org website Natallya Radzina.

29.04.2010 Fines in Belarus for demands to extradite Bakiyev

Activists of Young Belarus Andrei Kuzminski, Mikhail Naskou, and Alyaksei Atroshchanka were tried in the Tsentralny district court in Minsk on April 29.

The youth activists stood trial for holding a picket on October Square in Minsk demanding to extradite Bakiyev to Kyrgyzstan, Radio Svaboda informs.

29.04.2010 Journalists’ Computers will be Further Examined

Four Belarusian journalists were interrogated by the police once again 28 April. They were informed their computers that had been confiscated during searches in March 2010 would be further examined. Besides, some of them learnt the police had found some files “related to the criminal case” on their hard drives.

29.04.2010 Figures of voter turnout are fictional, says Mahiliou HR activist

Uladzimir Krauchanka, head of the Mahiliou Human Rights Center, lodged complaints with Mahiliou Regional Prosecutor’s Office, the Mahiliou Regional Election Commission and the Central Election Commission, demanding to cancel election results with pre-rigged minutes and carry out an inspection of the election commissions’ papers to verify the authenticity of voters’ signatures put down during the issue of ballots.

29.04.2010 Echo of election: opposition appeals election results

The territorial and constituency election commission have only one day to consider the appeals against violations of voting procedures – both during the early vote and that on 25 April. Opposition representatives from various regions of the country have lodged numerous appeals against the violations, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports.

29.04.2010 Mazyr: ex-candidate Tseliapun appeals election results

Uladzimir Tseliapun, member of the Belarusian Popular Front Party, who was running for the Homel Regional Council in Palesskaya constituency #43, says he does not recognize the election results. On 27 April, he lodged a complaint with the constituency election commission, as provided by Article 82 of the Electoral Code.

29.04.2010 Brest city authorities ban May Day demonstration

Brest city executive committee turned down the application submitted by the local offices of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party ‘Hramada’ and the Belarusian Party of the Left ‘Just World’ for holding a demonstration on 1 May, Radio Racyja reports.