The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for 14 Dec 2010

14.12.2010 Sviatlana Zhuk continues struggling for the right to know the place of burial of her son

On 13 December the Minsk City Court considered the cassation appeal of the mother of the executed convict Andrei Zhuk against the verdict of the Leninski District Court of Minsk concerning the refusal to bring an administrative case against the inaction of the MIA Punishment Execution Department that had refused to issue to her the body of the executed son or inform her about the place of his burial.

14.12.2010 Pavel Sapelka: administrative cases against Pushkin were fabricated

On 13 December lawyer Pavel Sapelka studied the materials of the administrative case of a well-known artist Ales Pushkin who had been punished with 13 days of arrest on 9 December by Judge Volha Foma, for ‘hooliganism’ and ‘insubordination to lawful demands of the police’.

Minsk Procuracy: the information of the human rights defender has been noted and will be taken into account during the prosecutorial supervision of the ‘case of anarchists’

14.12.2010 Minsk Procuracy: the information of the human rights defender has been noted and will be taken into account during the prosecutorial supervision of the ‘case of anarchists’

The Minsk City Procuracy promised human rights defender Ales Bialiatski to take into account the information submitted by him concerning the criminal cases of activists of anarchist and antifascist movements. However, he had to apply to the prosecutor to make the procuracy answer on the merits of his initial address.

14.12.2010 Valiantsina Sviatskaya still hasn’t received an answer on merits of her complaint

On 30 November observer Sviatskaya addressed the General Procuracy with an appeal concerning violations of provisions of the Electoral Code and other laws by a member of the Maskouski District Election Commission of Minsk A.Kudziarmayeu.

14.12.2010 Hrodna region: ‘terrorist acts’ of opposition as the last argument for early voting

The facts of forced early voting have been registered in several districts of the Hrodna region. For instance, 12 of the people who are serving their terms of corrective labor in the open penitentiary establishment in the Masty district (not far from the town of Lunna), were taken to the Lunna election precinct in the morning of 14 December.

14.12.2010 Rechytsa: slits of ballot boxes won’t be taped

Chyrvonastsiazhnaya precinct election commission #28 in Rechytsa held a sitting on the eve of the early voting. Its member Siarhei Hapaniuk, representative of the Belarusian Popular Front, was informed about it in advance. However, he was told that the sitting would take place at 3 a.m. on 13 December.

14.12.2010 Mahiliou: OSCE observers weren’t let to attend sitting of election commission for coming 2 minutes after its beginning

According to the human rights defender Barys Bukhel, on 13 December the OSCE observers who came to the sitting of the Mahiliou Region Election Commission two minutes after its beginning weren’t allowed to attend it.

14.12.2010 Biaroza: workers are taken to precincts during working hours

The town authorities haven’t invented any new techniques of early voting: workers of the local enterprises are still driven to the election precincts by busses so that they could vote early.

14.12.2010 Mother of many children has been hunger-striking for five days already

A mother of five children from Mahiliou Natallia Shkadun has been hunger-striking for 5 days already, striving for improvement of the living conditions for her family.

14.12.2010 Detention of electioneering agent of Uladzimir Niakliayeu

Siarhei Vazniak, an electioneering agent of the presidential candidate Uladzimir Niakliayeu, has been detained in Minsk today.

14.12.2010 Homel: independent observer sent away from electoral precinct

An independent observer Uladzimir Anfilau has been sent away from electoral precinct #22 in the Tsemtralny district of Homel.

14.12.2010 Homel: independent observer sent away from electoral precinct

An independent observer Uladzimir Anfilau has been sent away from electoral precinct #22 in the Tsemtralny district of Homel.

14.12.2010 Member of opposition allowed to sign fewer ballots than was promised in presence of OSCE observers

A BPF member Iryna Semianiuk-Smiayan who is a member of precinct election commission #104 in Minsk was promised to be allowed to sign all 2,300 voting papers on Monday. It happened in the presence of OSCE observers. However, she was only allowed to sign 100 ballots on the first day of the early voting.

14.12.2010 Students of Belarusian State University are ordered to vote early

BSU Students have been informed that they must vote early. Future social scientists received the order in the first place – philosophers, psychologists, sociologists and information and communications specialists.