The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for 9 Apr 2010

09.04.2010 International human rights community condemns execution of Andrei Zhuk and Vasil Yuzepchuk

A wide range of foreign and international human rights organizations addressed Aliaksandr Lukashenka and Siarhei Sikorski with a joint statement to condemn the ongoing use of the death penalty in Belarus. Here we present to your attention the full text of the address.

09.04.2010 Vitsebsk: will electors come to precinct located 3 km away from their home?

The candidate for the Vitsebsk regional Council of Deputies Iryna Akulionak, activist of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party Narodnaya Hramada, has to defend the electoral rights of citizens of the Budaunichaya constituency #58 where she is running. The matter is that dwellers of Bileva, a new suburb of Vitsebsk, had been assigned to the precinct that is located in secondary school #12 that is situated more than three kilometers away from the suburb. It means that many people will have to get to the precinct by public transport, sometimes even with changes.

09.04.2010 Babruisk: court refuses to exclude candidate from electoral race

On 9 April the Mahiliou regional court considered the lawsuit of Viachaslau Sheleh, a member of the Belarusian Christian Democracy concerning the non-registration of his candidacy for the Babruisk town Council of Deputies. Meanwhile, Mr. Sheleh was registered as a candidate for the Mahiliou regional council. The signature sheets in support of his candidacy are identical in the both cases. However, the Babruisk town election commissions had allegedly found some invalid signatures, whereas the Mahiliou regional election commission hadn't found any.

09.04.2010 Barysau: 'liberalization' spreads on information about candidates' income

The list of the candidates for the Barysau district Council of Deputies of the 26th Convocation was published by the state-owned newspaper Adzinstva two days after their registration. The list includes their surnames and names, the dates of birth the official positions, the places of work and residence and the party affiliation.

09.04.2010 Homel: candidates are allowed to speak about indifference of officials only in unfrequented places

Yauhen Yakavenka, a candidate for the Homel regional Council of Deputies at the Yubileinaya constituency and a coordinator of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy, held an agitation picket in the place that had been determined by the local authorities, the ground near the Culture House of the Deaf.

09.04.2010 Vitsebsk: competition without rules

The state-owned newspaper Vitsbichy continued creating unequal conditions for candidates. The candidate for the Vitsebsk city Council of Deputies Siarhei Bialiayeu, head doctor of the Vitsebsk city central polyclinic, became the hero of the Hotline column in edition #43 for 8 April 2010.

09.04.2010 Homel: Yauhen Yakavenka justified

On 8 April 2010 the Savetski district court in Homel justified Yauhen Yakavenka, 25, who was charged with non-coming to events connected to drafting into the army.

09.04.2010 Ideologist of Brest district election committee interferes with electoral process

On 8 April A.Kuzniatsou, a candidate to the Brest district Council of Deputies of the 26th Convocation running at the Yaminskaya election constituency #26 brought the models of his agitation leaflets, posters and stickers to the printing house Artline. He was told about a telephone call from L.Lemekh, ideologist of the Brest district executive committee, who expressed a negative position concerning his leaflets. As a result, Artline refused to publish the agitation materials.

09.04.2010 Minsk: don't workers of housing service know the law?

On 8 April, workers of a housing service tore away agitation leaflets of candidate Vadzim Kanapatski, Deputy Chairperson of the Minsk city organization of the Belarusian Popular Front, from the notice boards in Barastsianskaya Street, on the territory of the Pershamaiskaya election constituency #56. When the candidate asked them about the reasons, they answered that the head of the housing service ordered them to clear the boards of any information that had no relation to the housing service.