The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for December 2010

14.12.2010 Election of the President of Belarus 2010: Pre-election Monitoring Report on Campaign

The novelties and positive changes, however, did little to decrease the inequality in campaign conditions between the incumbent president and other candidates. As in 2006, Alyaksandr Lukashenka benefitted from the following: • unlimited opportunities for Lukashenka to avail of the state mass media – compared to 2 hours of TV and radio appearances and an opportunity to print 5 pages of text in the main newspapers guaranteed to the other candidates; • targeted criticism of the other candidates in the state mass media – compared to an exclusively complimentary coverage of the incumbent president’s personality and his election programme.

13.12.2010 Salihorsk: haunting of activists of Niakliayeu’s campaign

Salihorsk activists of Niakliayeu’s team complain about obstacles from the side of the law-enforcement agencies and administrations of the state enterprises.

13.12.2010 Vitsebsk: soldiers are ordered to vote early as well

Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections continue receiving information about violations of the electoral legislation. Today we have received an audio recording of a briefing that was held at special mobile brigade #103 by the deputy commandant on ideology.

13.12.2010 Procuracy covers unlawful actions of police

This story started in August 2010, when the police demanded that the dwellers of a house in the Minsk suburb Viasnianka closed their windows in order to secure the safety of President Lukashenka, though the temperature was about 35ºC (or 95ºF). One of the people didn’t obey to this demand, as a result of which a police brigade burst into her apartment.

13.12.2010 Offender of Rymasheuski’s electioneering agent comes off clear

The bully who tore away the campaign posters that were displayed in the authorized locations and tried to beat Vital Rymasheuski’s electioneering agent Valeryia Charnamortsava, was detained over a week ago, but still hasn’t been brought to a trial. Itself the victim this time not only not invited to the court of the Soviet district of the capital, which must review the case, but also to hide from her name forward.

13.12.2010 Hrodna region: assaults on members of Niakliayeu's team

Two assaults on activists of the electoral team of candidate Niakliayeu have been registered these days.

13.12.2010 People are forced to vote early all over Belarus

Citizens react actively to the appeal of Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections to tell about facts of involuntary voting organization.

13.12.2010 Belarusian authorities denied visa to Chairperson of Norwegian Helsinki Committee

The Belarusian Embassy in Stockholm refused to issue a visa to the Chairperson of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, Björn Engesland. His passport was returned to him with a seal that bans him from entering the territory of Belarus. No explanations were offered by officers of the embassy.

13.12.2010 Orsha: mystery of two doors

On 11 December observer Siarhei Trafimau watched a sitting of the Orsha Town Election Commission and noticed an interesting thing.

13.12.2010 Pavel Sapelka: Mikalai Autukhovich is pressurized at a full scale

A lawyer Pavel Sapelka had a meeting with the political prisoner Mikalai Autukhovich at the Ivatsevichy colony. The lawyer didn’t see Autukhovich’s ward for several months before the meeting.

13.12.2010 Homel activists are banned to hold a rally against Lukashenka

On 12 December the Homel activists Uladzimir Siakerka and Valery Klimau could not conduct a meeting with voters aimed at anti-Lukashenka agitation.

13.12.2010 Homel: students are offered a day-off to vote early

On 10 December the rector of Homel State University Aliaksandr Rahachou held a meeting with students and teaching staff.

13.12.2010 OSCE Election Observation Mission issued Interim Report No.2 on the presidential election in Belarus

You can find the full text of the report on this address: http://www.osce.org/documents/odihr/2010/12/48172_en.pdf

13.12.2010 Candidate Ramanchuk demands investigation concerning Makei’s statements

The presidential candidate Yaraslau Ramanchuk has applied to the Minister of Internal Affairs Anatol Kuliashou, the KGB head Vadzim Zaitsau and the General Public Prosecutor Ryhor Vasilevich with a claim concerning the statements of the head of the Presidential Administration, Uladzimir Makei in his interview to RTR-Belarus TV-channel.

11.12.2010 General Procuracy issues warnings to five candidates

The General Procuracy issued official warnings to the presidential candidates Uladzimir Niakliayeu, Yaraslau Ramanchuk, Vital Rymasheuski, Andrei Sannikau and Mikalai Statkevich for calling the Belarusian citizens to come to Kastrychnitskaya Square on the Election Day, 19 December.