The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for August 2012

29.08.2012 Zmitser Dashkevich not to appeal court ruling

Zmitser Dashkevich does not plan to appeal the ruling by the Hlybokaye District Court that extended his prison term to August 28, 2013, BelaPAN said.

29.08.2012 Slutsk candidate denied registration “on moral grounds”

The Central Election Commission has dismissed a complaint against denial of registration to Slutsk activist of the Tell the Truth campaign Aliaksandr Solap. In its decision, the CEC refers to “moral grounds”.

29.08.2012 Critical election addresses taken off air

A number of TV addresses by pro-democratic candidates have been taken off the air on state-run TV channels, observers of the Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections campaign report.

29.08.2012 Mahiliou activist sues election officials over denial of registration

Mrs. Aksana Samuilava, Mahiliou activist of the Tell the Truth campaign, is suing the election commission of constituency No. 79 after it denied her registration as a candidate for Parliament.

29.08.2012 Activist of pro-dem candidate’s campaign team loses job

Piotr Baseika, activist of the initiative group of Valery Karankevich, representative of the Belarusian Popular Front running for Parliament in Krychau constituency No. 83, has been dismissed from job after his employment contract has expired.

29.08.2012 Brest court turns down picket ban complaint

Brest Leninski District Court dismissed a complaint lodged by human rights defender Uladzimir Vialichkin after his application for holding on 4 August a picket of solidarity with Ales Bialiatski was rejected by the city’s executive committee.

29.08.2012 BHC observer demands to prosecute editor of state-run newspaper

Vasil Berasneu, observer representing the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, has addressed Vitsebsk regional executive committee with a demand to prosecute Mrs. Liubou Dziadziura, editor-in-chief of the Vitsebski Rabochy state-owned newspaper, for numerous facts of early campaigning.

29.08.2012 Zhodzina pro-dem activists fighting for right to hold pickets

On 27 August, Zhodzina Town Court considered a complaint lodged by local pro-democratic activists Aliaksei and Sviatlana Lapitskis against a ban imposed on holding a picket “Freedom for Ales Bialiatski!”

29.08.2012 CEC turns down all complaints by Vitsebsk potential candidates

The Central Election Commission has dismissed the complaints lodged by six potential candidates from Vitsebsk against decisions of local constituency election commissions that denied them registration.

29.08.2012 Mother of political prisoner Aliaksandr Frantskevich forced to leave job

Mrs. Tatsiana Frantskevich, mother of political prisoner Aliaksandr Frantskevich serving his three-year sentence in a penal colony in Ivatsevichy, has been forced to leave her job as a cleaner at the Navapolatsk-based “Vadakanal” state-owned enterprise.

29.08.2012 Salihorsk observer appeals denial of access to election papers

Salihorsk human rights defender Leanid Markhotka has lodged a complaint with the Central Election Commission, contesting a decision by the town’s election commission No. 68 that denied him access to papers submitted by potential candidates.

28.08.2012 Candidate registration stage did not meet democratic standards, say activists of Campaign for Free Elections

The candidate registration stage showed that Belarus’ House of Representatives elections are being conducted in accordance with the same old scenario and do not meet standards for democratic elections, Viktar Karnyayenka, a coordinator of the Campaign for Free Elections, told reporters in Minsk on Monday.

28.08.2012 Mahiliou activists appeal confiscation of election observation guidelines

Yury Novikau and Halina Lisitsyna, activists of the For Free Elections observation campaign, have lodged a complaint with Mahiliou prosecuting, executive and police authorities, appealing an incident of 23 August when hundreds of election observation materials were seized by the city police from Yury Novikau’s car.

28.08.2012 Slutsk observer appeals signature verification results

Vital Amialkovich, observer registered in Slutsk constituency election commission No. 67, has lodged a complaint with the Central Election Commission, saying that the verification of signatures submitted to the commission was not legal.

28.08.2012 Baranavichy police turn down election violation claims by local human rights defender

Baranavichy observer Siarhei Housha has received a reply from the city’s police department, saying that the minutes published by constituency election commission No. 5 was a sample form, despite the fact Mr. Housha argued that the paper was rigged by the commission’s members.