The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for August 2012

06.08.2012 Vaukavysk: activist detained for posters “Freedom to Bialiatski!”

Civil activist Vital Huliak was detained while posting leaflets “Freedom to Ales Bialiatski!” in the center of Vaukavysk. As he said to RFE/RL over the telephone, he did it in order to express solidarity with Ales Bialiatski, marking the international solidarity day with the civil society of Belarus.

06.08.2012 Brest: human rights defender holds race of solidarity with Ales Bialiatski

Human rights defender Uladzimir Malei ran along the busiest streets of the region's capital wearing a T-shirt “Freedom to Ales Bialiatski!”.

06.08.2012 Action of solidarity with Ales Bialiatski and detentions in Zhodzina

Zhodzina human rights defenders Aliaksei and Sviatlana Lapitskis and Aleh Leushyk made a bicycle rally along the busiest streets of the city wearing T-shirts “Freedom to Bialiatski!”

06.08.2012 Barysau: police disrupt canvassing picket of a democratic candidate

At about 11.50 a.m. the police detained the deputy head of the United Civil Party Leu Marholin and a member of his electoral team, Mikhail Vasiliieu near the large Barysau supermarket “Vesta”, where they were collecting signatures in support of Marholin's candidacy.

06.08.2012 UCP member not registered as candidate on first attempt

When the member of the United Civil Party Uladzimir Maliarchuk made the first attempt to pass the documents for the registration of his candidacy for the Parliament to the election commission of the Vileika constituency, he presented a copy of his party membership card.

06.08.2012 Weekly Analytical Report on Election Monitoring Results: July 30 – August 5

General Conclusions - The period of candidates’ nomination continues from July 15th to August 13th. Initiative groups collect signatures during door-to-door and street picket activities. - Some candidates and members of initiative groups experience pressure from the authorities. We have registered cases of state officials hindering the work of pro-democratic initiative groups, as well as usage of administrative resource to the benefit of pr-governmental candidates.

03.08.2012 Ambassador of Sweden Stephan Ericsson expelled from Belarus

The Embassy of Sweden in Belarus confirmed that the Swedish Ambassador to Belarus Stephan Ericsson had been expelled from Belarus and is in Sweden now.

03.08.2012 Baranavichy: election observer charged with disorderly conduct

On 2 August police inspector Mikalai Kudrautsau summonsed human rights defender Siarhei Housha to the Baranavichy District Police Department on the basis of an application of the head of the election commission of Baranavichy-Western election constituency #5. Tatsiana Latyshava.

03.08.2012 Rasony: road police confiscate image production of “Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections”

The operation was conducted by officers of the “Typhoon” unit of the road police of the Vitsebsk region. In the evening of 2 August a car carrying stationery, bags and T-shirts with logos of “Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections” was stopped by the road police.

03.08.2012 Nomination of opposition representatives to precinct election commissions: regional survey

According to the schedule of the organizational measures to prepare and hold elections, the nomination of representatives to precinct election commissions must end by 5 August.

03.08.2012 Slutsk: constituency commission ignores election observer

Vital Amialkovich, an observer from the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, asks the head of the Central Election Commission to explain whether the action of the Law “On applications of citizens and juridical bodies” spreads on activities of election commissions.

03.08.2012 Belarusian human rights defenders pass petition for release of Ales Bialiatski and all political prisoners to Presidential Administration

Representatives of democratic NGOs, civil activists and human rights defenders of Belarus paid a visit to the Presidential Administration to pass the petition demanding an immediate and unconditional release of Ales Bialiatski and all political prisoners and cessation of pressurization on human rights and civil society organizations of the country.

03.08.2012 Tax officers ordered to sign for head of central department store during working hours

Aliaksandr Melnik, a prospective candidate for the Parliament, appealed against unlawful actions of the electoral team of the head of the central department store Viktar Valiushytski (who also heads the district branch of the “state NGO” “Belaya Rus”) to the Brest Region Procuracy.

03.08.2012 Barysau authorities ban picket in support of Ales Bialiatski

The Barysau District Executive Committee prohibited the local human rights defenders to hold a picket under the slogan “Freedom to Ales Bialiatski!” near one of large departments store of Barysau on 4 August.