The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for October 2010

11.10.2010 DDos Attack on website of United Civil Party

The website of the United Civil Party yielded to a DDoS attack and temporary stopped its work. According to the UCP Chairperson Anatol Liabedzka, the attack started on Friday.

11.10.2010 Minsk: activist of electoral team of Andrei Sannikau gets fined

On 11 October the Zavadski District Court of Minsk fined Illia Shcharbinski for violation of Article 17.1 of the Code of Administrative Violations, ‘disorderly conduct’. The activist had been detained on 10 October, while going to his electoral picket with a flag of the civil campaign European Belarus (that is headed by Andrei Sannikau).

11.10.2010 Homel police reluctant to catch those who attack opposition pickets

The electoral picket of the potential candidate Uladzimir Niakliayeu near the Homel supermarket was attacked by an unknown person who insulted the picketers and tried to provoke a fight. A police station is in five-minute walk from the place of the picket.

11.10.2010 Autukhovich’s counsel didn’t receive letter from his client

The administration of the Ivatsevichy penal colony where the political prisoner Mikalai Autukhovich is serving his prison term keeps seizing some of the letters mailed by him. In particular, as it was found by Autukhovich’s counsel Pavel Sapelka during a recent telephone talk with his client, the latter send him a letter three weeks ago. However, Mr. Sapelka still hasn’t received it. The lawyer wasn’t surprised with this fact, taking into consideration the relations between the prison administration and the prisoner.

11.10.2010 Hrodna: tax inspectors sue for liquidation of ‘Polonika’ firm

The head of the tax inspection of the Leninski District of Hrodna went to law proposing to initiate the bankruptcy proceedings against the Polonika firm.

11.10.2010 UN: Trial over Mikhail Marynich is political lynching

The UN Human Rights Committee admitted that tortures had been used against Mikhail Marynich.

11.10.2010 Hrodna district: detention of activist of electoral team of Andrei Sannikau

On 10 October the activist of the electoral team of Mr. Sannikau Tatsiana Iliuchak was detained not far from the border crossing point Bruzgi where she was collecting signatures in his support. The border guards drew up a report about violation of the regime of stay in the border zone by her, after which she was released. Tatsiana may receive an administrative punishment in the case the report is passed to court.

11.10.2010 Pinsk: state-owned press fails to present timely information about change of rules of electoral campaigning

A notice about introduction of amendments to the ruling of the Pinsk District Executive Committee About determining the places that are banned for picketing aimed at collecting signatures was published in edition #80 of the state-owned newspaper Polesskaya Pravda only 12 days after the introduction of these amendments.

11.10.2010 Orsha: electoral pickets can be put anywhere

The Orsha Town Executive Committee removed all prohibitions on holding electoral pickets for collection of signatures in support of nomination of candidates for the presidential election.

11.10.2010 Zhodzina: young professional threatened with dismissal for distributing independent press

The young professional of the Belarusian Automobile Plant (BelAZ) Andrei Zubra had been detained by police on 27 September for handing out the private newspaper Tut I Tsiaper. Recently, he has been summoned to the office of the head of the personnel department of the plant, V.Shliakhtsin. The official warned him that his labor contract expired soon and advised him to hesitate about the future, as he could lose the job if he continued his public activities.

11.10.2010 Police detain circulation of 'Vitebskiy Kurier' with interviews of potential candidates for presidency

The circulation of the newspaper was detained while its chief editor, Viktar Ramniou, transported it from the Russian town of Slolensk, where it is printed. The edition was registered in the Russian Federation, as the local authorities made it impossible to register it in Vitsebsk.

08.10.2010 Barysau authorities ban picket against death penalty

On 20 September the Barysau addressed the Barysau Town Executive Committee with the request to authorize a picket against the death penalty.

08.10.2010 Navalukoml: activist of electoral teams of Uladzimir Niakliayeu and Mikalai Statkevich signed out of psychiatric asylum after 15-day detention

The 50-year-old resident of the town of Navalukoml who intended to collect signatures for the nomination of Uladzimir Niakliayeu and Mikalai Statkeivich as candidates for President of the Republic of Belarus has been released from the Lepel psychiatric asylum after spending 15 days there.

08.10.2010 Vitsebsk: state-owned newspaper ’Vitsbichy’ writes only about one candidate

The article Many People near Picket (published in the issue of Vitsbichy for 7 October 2010), published in the city newspaper describes the successful work of collectors of signatures for nomination of Aliaksandr Lukashenka for the presidential election. The author tells the readers the precise location of the electoral picket – ‘at the crossing of Lenin Street and Frunze Avenue, near the book office’, and even offers a description – ‘a sign with the inscription ‘Collection of signatures for the nomination of Lukashenka Aliaksandr Ryhoravich a candidate for President of the Republic of Belarus’ and a desk with the Constitution and the Electoral Code on it’.

08.10.2010 Head of Slutsk district branch of Uladzimir Niakliayeu’s electoral team is dismissed from work

Anatol Yurevich, the head of the electoral team of the democratic candidate Uladzimir Niakliayeu in the Slutsk district, was informed about the breach of the labor contract. On 7 October he was invited to the personnel department of the Slutsk building site of Minskenerhaspetsramont where he was working as a chief foreman and was proposed to sign the notice about the breach of the contract.